Audiobook Review – Kill and Run by Lauren Carr

Kill and Run by Lauren Carr

Listening Length: 11 hours

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first instalment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My thoughts

**Audiobook ** I received a free copy from the author for an honest review.

I previously listened to the second book in this series – A Fine Year to Murder (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…) – and vowed then I’d check out book one. I’m so glad I did, but not because it filled any gaps rather simply because it was even more tense and dramatic and exciting… I could go on 🙂

So what did I like about it? Firstly, hats off to the narrator who made this such a great listening experience. Clear diction, perfect emotion, and superb character definition. Kudos to C.J. McAllister!
But, there’s the small matter of a great story too. Being familiar with Murphy and Jessica, it was easy to settle back and follow their journey. And what a journey it was.

Lieutenant Murphy Thornton takes on a case concerning the murder of five women in one house. Five women who share no common history except for one thing – they were joining forces to exact revenge on a man who raped them years before and got away with it every time. A man whose career in the military has seen him climb to the highest echelons of power, within breathing distance of The White House. Can it be possible that such a man could become the president’s advisor? They didn’t think he should be allowed such a privilege, yet someone else thinks differently and wants them out of the way so they cannot muddy the waters.

Murphy and Jessica (now a PI) and his father (Captain Josh Thornton) and new mother-in-law (Cameron Gates, also in law enforcement and with a personal interest in this case relating to her first husband) work together to find the murderer, not expecting the military connection at first, but then realising that greater forces are protecting the man at the centre of the case.
With fast-paced action (shootouts in a coffee shop, car chases – with potentially life-threatening consequences – and even a kidnapping), the story lurches from one drama to the next, making for a page-turning, hold your breath, kind of read. Interspersed with the action are lovely family scenes with the most incredible pets, and a subplot focusing on Izzy, the daughter of one of those five women.

It’s tense and heart-warming, and will raise all sorts of questions over the ability of those in power to control the outcome to their advantage. I’m so glad there are more in this series, and will be heading out to nab them right away.

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – What Happened at the Abbey?

by Isobel Blackthorn

Book Information

• Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/mvBPjj
• Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199234701-what-happened-at-the-abbey
• Genre:  Gothic mystery, melodrama
• Print length: 324 pages; 94K words
• Age range: This is an adult book but suitable for mature older teenagers
• Trigger warnings: off-scene marital abuse
• Amazon rating: New release, not yet rated

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY

When Ingrid flees a violent husband to become a housekeeper in the Scottish Highlands, she discovers the family she works for has a much darker history than her own.

Who haunts Strathbairn? Why are the adult McCleod children at each other’s throats? And why does the youngest sneak off at night? As Ingrid searches for answers, she grows ever more fearful that her husband will track her down.

Set in late 19th century Scottish Highlands, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY is a gothic mystery brimming with intrigue, ghostly drama, and family secrets.

PRAISE FOR WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ABBEY

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this story which seemed to throw up one mystery after another….

I loved this book which kept me enthralled and entertained to the very last page. Thoroughly recommended! 5 big stars. Amazon review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

…Sinister goings on have happened there in the past and continue to the present day. Nobody can be trusted, and you, the reader will analyse each character with a critical eye. What is going on here? Can Ingrid unlock the mystery and save herself before her husband finds her, or has fate got something else in store? Goodreads review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes gripping mysteries, historical fiction and dark psychological thrillers. Her Canary Islands collection begins with The Drago Tree and includes A Matter of Latitude, Clarissa’s Warning and A Prison in the Sun. Her interest in the occult is explored in The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey and the dark mystery A Perfect Square. 

Her dark thriller The Cabin Sessions was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. Isobel’s  biographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’ which forms the first chapter of Emma’s Tapestry was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019.  A Prison in the Sun was shortlisted in the LGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the International Book Awards 2021. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Isobel writes non fiction too. She is the author of the world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movement Alice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy.

Isobel’s first work, which she wrote in 2008, is Voltaire’s Garden. This memoir is set in the mid 2000s and tells the story of building a sustainable lifestyle B&B in Cobargo on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, which gained international attention when a firestorm razed the idyllic historic village on New Year’s Eve 2019.

Isobel’s writing appears in journals and websites around the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia, Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and On Line Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Shadow Awards 2020 long fiction category. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has a long-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote in the late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999 Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two high schools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart of England, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of the Upper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa.

Isobel has a background in Western Esotericism. She holds 1st Class Honours in Social Studies, and a PhD from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking research on the works of Alice A. Bailey. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events in a range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands.

• Website: https://isobelblackthorn.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBlackthorn
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isobelblackthorn/

My Thoughts

Why would an educated woman leave a comfortable home in Hampshire with her daughter for the Scottish Highlands to take up the role of a housekeeper, having been used to having staff of her own? To escape the clutches of an abusive and tormenting husband, that’s why?
With the little savings she has amassed and a job arranged for by her bishop, Ingrid Barker and daughter, Susan head for pastures new, Ingrid having persuaded Susan to tell anyone who asks that her father is dead. It’s a big ask of a seven-year-old, but fortunately Straithbairn is so remote that they have few people to lie to. And, they’re not the most hospitable bunch either, certainly not the type to whom Ingrid would want to tell her life history, assuming they showed any interest in her anyway. In fact, they are some of the rudest and most inhospitable people she has ever met, both upstairs and down.
While Ingrid hopes she has made the right decision to flee Hampshire, Straithbairn is a difficult place in which to enjoy life. Her employer, a drunken bully; his children, three grudge-bearing, bickering and damaged siblings; the staff, wary and unrelenting. And everyone has a secret that they’re happy to scream at each other about, but no-one will enlighten Ingrid as to why nothing seems to make any of them happier. So much angst, so many secrets, so much moody tension.
The grim atmosphere of the outside is reflected inside and there is little light relief until another young man, Hamish, arrives as an unexpected party guest. With Hamish, Ingrid gets to explore the nearby abbey, take picnics and see the glorious sunsets. Could Hamish be the one to bring her the happiness she seeks? Or will her husband discover her whereabouts?
The dreary state of the big house, the miserable family and their arguments, mysterious letters and diaries, the murkiness of the surrounding bog and the abandoned abbey, and not forgetting the smell of sage in the attic… all make for a tense gothic novel filled with intrigue and drama.

I was initially caught out by the sudden change in point-of-view and recognising the switch wasn’t always obvious. It’s also a darker read than I’m used to when reading historical fiction, and a little too heavy on descriptive detail that I found myself skimming at times, but it gets full marks for creepiness and for the most dysfunctional family ever. Fans of gothic hist-fic will lap it up.

PS – to get a better of the chilling tone of the story, check out this brief trailer.

BLOG TOUR ARRANGED BY

COFFEE & THORN

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – The Other Girlfriend

The Other Girlfriend

She loves him…

Lizzie Green once loved Tom Murphy with a passion that bordered on obsession. All she wanted was his love to be returned. Then one night something terrible happened and Tom left Lizzie broken hearted. She swore she would never let him hurt her again….

She loves him not.

Now, ten years later, Tom turns up on Lizzie’s doorstep still as charming as ever. Lizzie knows he still has the power to break her heart and destroy her life again. But Lizzie can’t say no to him….

Can she?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3vNxKa9

Author Bio

Alex Stone, originally an accountant from the West Midlands, is now a psychological suspense writer based in Dorset. This beautiful and dramatic coastline is the inspiration and setting for her novels. She was awarded the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2019 and her debut thriller The Perfect Daughter was published by Boldwood in October 2021.

Social Media Links

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlexStoneWriter

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/AlexStoneAuthor

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alexstoneauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlexStoneNewsletter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alex-stone-69a67039-4aed-4e8c-9319-9e93eba46d5b

My Review

It’s been ten years since Lizzie last heard from Tom, her childhood friend and the source of her unrequited love. And now, here he is on her doorstep, claiming he only ever wanted to be with her.

She should be more suspicious, shouldn’t she? Especially since he dropped her friendship like a stone after that incident, leaving her broken-hearted and blaming herself for what happened that night.

Lizzie has to start over, she couldn’t face university any longer and gives up the writing course she had so loved to move to a different college … one where he, nor any of her old friends, will be. Reinventing herself as Beth, she takes a job in IT and lives out her days quietly, primarily as a result of her agoraphobia but also because of doubts about her own self worth.

And now he’s back, making himself at home in her house, insisting he was wrong to leave her all those years ago and that he never should have disappeared like that.

Tom is actually very unsettling, his behaviour suspicious, his intentions unclear – and Beth (Lizzie) is struggling to make sense of it all. Is he for real? Or is there something more sinister afoot?

It takes catching up with one of her old friends – one who was there that night – to make her realise that Tom’s motives are not as genuine as he’d have her believe.

And, what’s that? He wants her to publicly take the blame for what happened? Why now, after ten years? Can she put aside her feelings for him to find the truth?

The Other Girlfriend plays on Beth’s insecurities and Tom’s ability to manipulate her … and the truth, and the overall premise is tense. For me, it’s just too drawn out in getting to the crux of the story, Beth/Lizzie spends too much time in her head and overplays the victim card to the extent she becomes annoying for acting so gullible. Despite short chapters that make it a quick read, it takes a third of the book to discover what happened that night, when it’s pretty obvious from much earlier. That said, the ending is worth waiting for and validates Lizzie, allowing her to get the upper hand for once.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Book Review – The Midnight Man

From number one bestselling author Caroline Mitchell, comes the first chilling Slayton thriller for fans of C. J. Tudor and Stephen King.

If you open your door to the Midnight Man,

hide with a candle wherever you can.

Try not to scream as he draws near,

because one of you won’t be leaving here…

On Halloween night in Slayton, five girls go to Blackhall Manor to play the Midnight Game. They write their names on a piece of paper and prick their fingers to soak it in blood. At exactly midnight they knock on the door twenty-two times – they have invited the Midnight Man in.

It was supposed to be a game, but only four girls come home.

Detective Sarah Noble has just returned to the force, and no one knows more about Blackhall Manor than her. It’s a case that will take Sarah back to everything she’s been running from, and shake her to the core.

Will she be ready to meet the Midnight Man?

Add to Goodreads

Amazon UK

My Review

This book was – and still is – all over Twitter, and rave reviews led to my FOMO sending me to Netgalley to request a copy. I even hassled the publishers, praying I hadn’t been declined. Fortunately, my impatience was soon rewarded, and I settled in for what I hoped would be a thrilling read.

Jeez, did I luck out! It was everything I hoped for: tense, twisty and atmospheric. The poem in the blurb sets the scene perfectly for those five girls who prepare to play The Midnight Game. It’s legendary in Slayton, and something of a rite of passage for teens to seek out an abandoned building and dare to knock 22 times and let the Midnight Man in.

Blackhall Manor is something of legend itself, home to a series of deaths 25 years ago when the father of the household killed his family – parents, wife and children – before turning the gun on himself. Ever since, the house has been considered cursed, making it the perfect setting for The Midnight Man.

Unfortunately for the five girls invited to Blackhall Manor that Halloween, this is a game with deadly consequences. It begins as spooky fun, superstitious nonsense … until one girl goes missing. Now, you might expect the four remaining girls to ‘fess up and tell their parents where they’ve been, but no. The power of the message on their invitation – if you tell, you’ll go to hell – is so strong that they’re too scared of what might happen if they admit where they’ve been.

Detective Sarah Noble has just gone back to work after extended leave. Her backstory is complicated and multi-faceted, both elements that inject her personally into the case of the missing girl, and not merely in her role as a police officer. It affects how she is treated by her peers, and also how she feels about Blackhall Manor.

Her friend’s son, 7-year-old Elliot, is a kindred spirit. He’s been having visions of the hooded man in his nightmares. These visions extend to the missing girl, and later to others caught up in the game. He finds Sarah to be a safe haven, someone to whom he can reveal what he’s seen and who, as a police officer, can actually help. Elliot is the sweetest boy but he’s not easily fobbed off. He is per-cep-tive in every sense (as his teacher has told him) and he not only sees the Midnight Man, but he also sees through adults trying to use his abilities for their own end.

As evidence comes in, the police think they’ve found their man … but have they? Sarah has her doubts, but doesn’t feel able to share them at work. If she is going to prove herself capable as a detective, she’s going to have to revisit her past. Dun, dun, duuuuunnn …

I’ve not read anything by this author before, and I was super excited to get my hands on this one (Thank you Embla, Netgalley & Caroline). I’ll admit to being wary, as horror (the gory stuff) is so not my thing, but I’ll categorise this as creepy horror blended with twisty suspense and aspects of a police procedural. I’ll definitely be back for more.

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Carrying Clover

Carrying Clover

Newly single Camille Robins’ luck is about to change as she embarks on a new chapter of her life, moving to the city near her best friend, Lizzie.

At a chance meeting at Lou’s B&B, Camille meets George, a handsome man who sweeps her off her feet.

Can Lizzie forgive Camille for stealing her previous boyfriend, or will she seek revenge?

Camille can’t believe her luck! George can’t believe how perfect she is….

Was it a fate romance, or part of an evil plan?

A fresh new twist on a psychological thriller, fast-paced, clever, and thought provoking that will make you question who is the lucky one.

Luck, love, deceit, and heartbreak will keep you turning the page. And a breathtaking twist you won’t see coming, will stay with you long after you have finished reading.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BZZHNHH

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BZZHNHH

Author Bio

Lorey Durston is an author of thriller and suspense novels. 

CARRYING CLOVER is her debut novel.

She is currently working on her next suspense novel to be released late 2021.

Social Media Links – Twitter @loreydurston

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lorey-Durston-Author-101764481996748

Instagram: loreydurstonauthor 

My Review

This was an enjoyable read for the most part, well-paced and suspenseful. There are three main characters, of which Camille and Lizzie are “related” in that they grew up with the same foster family. And while Camille sees Lizzie as her best friend and sister, the same cannot be said for Lizzie. She bears a hefty dose of resentment towards Camille, initially stemming from jealousy from when they grew up together – Lizzie saw Camille as the favourite child who always got what she wanted. That resentment is further inflamed when we learn that Camille “stole” Lizzie’s boyfriend, although seeing as he turned out to be an abusive partner, you might think she’d have been glad to see the back of him.

Fast forward to present day and Camille has escaped that abusive relationship and is looking to start over. She’s bought a new flat (from inheritance money – and another reason for Lizzie to be jealous) and will be working for Lizzie in her Bristol café. Camille is going into this full of hope and optimism. Her positivity proves to be remarkably naive.

As the flat is not ready to move into, Camille books into a B&B for 2 days. This is where she befriends the owner, Lou, and another resident, George – the third of the main characters. Once again, her positive nature sees no issue with the speed in which George goes from fellow resident at the breakfast table to sending her flowers and gifts when she moves into her own place and starts work.

The story is told mainly from Camille’s point-of-view, interspersed with short chapters that give an insight in what’s really going on in George’s mind – and there is a lot of bitterness and ill-will in his thoughts. He clearly sees Camille as gullible, as the perfect prey for his plan, though we are never sure of his plans until the very end. What we do discover is that there is an accomplished liar behind all that charm.

Lizzie’s viewpoint is also explored in similarly short chapters, long enough to reveal her contempt towards her sister-friend. I did wonder what Lizzie’s motive was in offering Camille a job if she really didn’t like her that much. At least George seemed to have a plan – to control Camille – but the reasoning behind Lizzie’s action was less clear. Nonetheless, both George and Lizzie have personality issues in that they can be so nice, welcoming, and thoughtful to Camille to her face, yet in reality both of them vilified Camille in their thoughts. It was quite disturbing to see how they managed such strong emotions. Such is the strength of the story in that the tension is high, and it keeps you guessing as to how it will end, especially as Camille comes across as so needy. There are times when she does question things, but those are fleeting, and she is too easily manipulated to see what’s going on until it’s too late.

The ending is surprising, but – it might just be me – I didn’t quite get why George needed to use other women in the way that he did given the “other” relationships in his life. I have to assume there were fertility issues elsewhere, though it was never confirmed as such (try writing that without creating a spoiler alert).

Whilst Carrying Clover has an exciting plot with oodles of suspense, the writing itself would have benefitted from another round of editing (unless I unknowingly received an uncorrected proof) Nonetheless, an enjoyable read … and I do love that cover.

For more news and reviews:

As always,

Reviewed on Amazon UK as Meandthemutts

Book Review – The Stillwater Girls

The Stillwater Girls

by Minka Kent

Description:

Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Thinnest Air.

Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

Past the thicket of dread, they come upon a house on the other side of the pines. This is where Wren and Sage must confront something more chilling than the unknowable. They’ll discover what’s been hidden from them, what they’re running from, and the secrets that have left them in the dark their entire lives.

My review:

This book was recommended to me by a good friend who was raving about it, so I jumped on the bandwagon and got a copy for myself, only to hear from the same friend a few hours later – yes, hours – that the ending did not live up to expectations.

Argh! Was I about to waste my valuable reading time on something that would disappoint? A few other reviews – though definitely not all – said much the same thing. It didn’t bode well.

Still, I had the book already – it had to be worth checking it out for myself, after all, I might love it. My friend and I have disagreed over books in the past. (Though, to be fair, we’ve agreed more times than disagreed) Maybe this would be another one of those moments.

And you know what? For the first 75%, I abso-bloody-lutely loved this story. It was well-paced; I could totally empathise with the characters, they intrigued me – it was all good.

I felt for Wren and Sage, left alone in that cabin in the woods, where food was running out but not their hope that Mama and sister Evie would be back soon. When that knock on their door came, I was with them, hiding behind the couch, trembling. The plan wasn’t working out. It was time to leave. I so wanted Wren and Sage to find their mother and sister, and to see that maybe the world wasn’t as bad nor as scary as they’d been told.

Meanwhile, Nicolette and husband Brant lived a charmed life, endless travel opportunities led to recognition for Brant’s photographic career while Nic looked forward to them becoming foster parents after an emergency hysterectomy meant she couldn’t carry a child herself.

Unfortunately, a baby photo in Brant’s sock drawer, and several large withdrawals from her trust fund – without her knowledge – brought doubt to her door. Was Brant cheating? Did he have another family somewhere else?

There was tension every which way, and I raced through the book. It didn’t seem beyond the realms of possibility that the first house Wren and Sage came across belonged to Nic and Brant; and there was a logical reason for Nic to be at home when they knocked on her door. (She usually went to Florida for the winter, but had decided to confront Brant about the money instead)

As the truth came out about the Stillwater Darlings who lived in the cabin in the woods, living a life without electricity or modernity of any kind, it seemed only reasonable – and rather sweet – that Nic would want to help them.

And then came the moment that left me open-mouthed, where the facts of Nicolette’s past were revealed. My first thoughts were that the story had taken a shocking, fascinating and somewhat incredulous turn. While all the connections were finally made, it still left me baffled. Could that have happened? (I’m not going to share the details here in case you’d care to see for yourself) Everyone in Stillwater knew what had happened to Nicolette, including Brant, Cate, (her friend in Florida) and even her parents – and they all agreed to say nothing. Only Nicolette had no idea, no memory of what she’d done.

I loved the author’s writing, she drew me in with strong characters, all the emotional ups and downs you could wish for, and so much dramatic tension. I’ll definitely be checking out her other books. This would be perfect for #bookclubs as it certainly generates conversation. I love that in a book, and I’d recommend those curious enough to check it out for themselves.

My thanks to Netgalley and the author / publisher for a copy of this book; my review is made voluntarily.

As always,

Book Recommendation – Gone The Next

Gone The Next

by Ben Rehder

Meet Roy Ballard, freelance videographer with a knack for catching insurance cheats. He’s working a routine case, complete with hours of tedious surveillance, when he sees something that shakes him to the core. There, with the subject, is a little blond girl wearing a pink top and denim shorts—the same outfit worn by Tracy Turner, a six-year-old abducted the day before. When the police are skeptical of Ballard’s report—and with his history, who can blame them?—it’s the beginning of the most important case of his life.

Considering the subject matter, the topic is handled with great sensitivity. After learning that Roy has experience of losing a child, then it was very easy to root for him. Added to that he has the kind of sense of humour that you can’t help but like, and laugh along with.
It was a fun, fast suspense read that kept me turning the pages with an interesting choice of main character. I don’t think I’ve seen an insurance fraud investigator in the ‘detective’ role before. Of course, the rules for him are different to those of a PI, and Roy is not averse to using that to his advantage.
A great story, and one that makes me want to read more from this author.

Get your copy here: Amazon

As always,

Blog Blitz ‘n’ Book Review – Divided We Stand

Divided We Stand

by Rachel McLean

Divided We Stand

Britain is a country under surveillance. Neighbours spy on neighbours. Schools enforce loyalty to the state. And children are encouraged to inform on their parents.

Disgraced MP Jennifer Sinclair has earned her freedom but returns home to find everything changed.

Rita Gurumurthy has been sent to a high security prison. When a sympathetic guard helps her escape she becomes a fugitive, forced to go into hiding.

To reunite her family and win freedom for her son and her friend, Jennifer must challenge her old colleague and rival, the new Prime Minister Catherine Moore.

Will Catherine listen to reason and remove the country from its yoke of fear and suspicion? Or will Jennifer have to reveal the secret only she knows about Catherine, and risk plunging the country into turmoil?

I’ve come to expect a lot from Rachel McLean as an author, and she never disappoints. This third book in the Division Bell trilogy is every much the “David vs Goliath” story as its predecessors. In the current times of political uncertainty (or should that  be “insanity”?) she takes the reader on another captivating, white-knuckle ride.

You too will be screaming at the pages, begging for the cavalry. It’s escapism into a world that is not so far-fetched from our present reality, where you will be black and blue from pinching yourself to check it’s not from the non-fiction shelf.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK 

Amazon US 

My Review

I admit to being a huge fan of trilogies – and having read books 1 and 2 in this series, there was no way on the planet I was going to miss this one.

The story picks up with Jennifer Sinclair – former Birmingham MP and Cabinet Minister returning home to an empty house after having been arrested for sheltering her supposedly terrorist-inclined son and hiding him from the authorities. She returns to Brum to see citizens hostile to a young Muslim woman. Challenging them, she hears of another terrorist act having been committed in the city. Concern for her own family overwhelms her and she fears for their safety in this new extreme anti-Muslim world.

In her own street, curtains twitch as she arrives at her front door where a CCTV camera is now focused on her house.

Neighbours are wary of her, unwilling to be seen in public with her. So much has happened while she has been “indisposed” at the British Values Centre, and none of it for the good of the people.

The other main protagonist from book two – Rita Gurumurthy – is on her way to a new facility when a car accident gives her the chance to escape. But where can she go, and how long can she survive without being spotted and returned to the hell-hole that left her battered and bruised both physically and mentally?

The plight of the two women to tell their stories to the world without risking further harm continues.

Jennifer finally catches up with her husband and youngest son, Hassan, but there is still no news of Samir.

Rita sees her boyfriend taken from his home by police as she crawls her way into Worcester, starving, cold and scared to death.

Their diligence and courage to stand up to the new status quo is both heart-warming and troubling. Conflict and hostility surface at every opportunity; it seems there is no way for the truth to be told as a result of too many cover-ups, secrets and lies in the corridors of power.

This is another gripping thriller, highlighting the impact of how fear can turn neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend, and all in the name of power.

In all honesty, this story freaked me out somewhat due to the comparisons that can be drawn with our current political landscape. Scary, thought-provoking, gritty and almost voyeuristic in its potential reality.

Another winner!

About the Author

I’m Rachel McLean and I write thrillers and speculative fiction.

I’m told that the world wants upbeat, cheerful stories – well, I’m sorry but I can’t help. My stories have an uncanny habit of predicting future events (and not the good ones). They’re inspired by my work at the Environment Agency and the Labour Party and explore issues like climate change, Islamophobia, the refugee crisis and sexism in high places. All with a focus on how these impact individual people and families.

You can find out more about my writing, get access to deals and exclusive stories or become part of my advance reader team by joining my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub.

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Book Review – The Good Girl

The Good Girl – Mary Kubica

4/5 stars – Aside from the unusual style of writing, which took some getting used to, this story had me gripped until the end – with an ending that I did not expect in the slightest. Written from a variety of perspectives, it is both a suspenseful mystery and a tender romance.

Definitely an author to follow.

Synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

“I’ve been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don’t know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she’s scared. But I will.”
Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life.
Colin’s job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia’s mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family’s world to shatter.