Death in Bacton Wood - Ross Greenwood

 

A family’s secrets lie buried. The time has come to uncover the truth…

When a mud-splattered man staggers from Bacton Wood with a terrifying tale about being buried alive, DS Ashley Knight and her team are called in to investigate. Soon, another victim is found, and more men are missing – all with connections to the well-known Vialli family.

The Major Investigation Team find themselves attempting to untangle a case that stretches from Eastern Europe through to North Norfolk. Along with rookie detective, the whip-smart Hector Fade, Ashley is in a race against time trying to help a family who seem determined to take matters into their own hands. And when Ashley suspects there is a department rat, the stakes get even higher.

As the evidence continues to point in different directions, and as new victims are uncovered thick and fast, Ashley and Hector begin to fear they have finally met their match in a killer too ruthless and clever to be caught.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/bactonwoodsocial

My Review:

The third book in the Norfolk Murders series, another drama filled and complex police procedural book with the interesting DS Ashley Night and the rest of the team.

Action packed from start to finish – you know when a book starts with someone almost being buried alive that you will be kept on the edge of your seat all the way through.

Death in Bacton Wood takes a deep dive into the dark, violent world of drugs and people trafficking and the long-held grudges that come back to haunt each monster involved.

With detailed and explicit descriptions of torture, they added a harsh and violent realism to the story – and whilst each crime was truly horrific; its hard to muster any sympathy when you’ve read about the heinous crimes, they have been involved with themselves.

DS Knight is a fantastic character and the team have really grown on me since book one. They work together well and can occasionally add some light relief amongst the gruesome crime action.

With fantastic twists along the way, I was trying to piece everything together as the story progressed rather than already knowing what was happening and who was to blame. I couldn’t put this one down!

This is a brilliant crime series and I look forward to the next. 

Author Bio:

I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King's School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I'm still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, i randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

It's surprising for me to realise I've written ten books now. There are two strands, one where the books concern lives affected by prison, and then my detective series starring DI John Barton. The first Barton book, The Snow Killer hit the coveted number one spot on KOBO, with the second and third in the series not far behind.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenwoodross

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rossg555/

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood

The Beach House - Nina Manning

 

It should have been the perfect weekend…

Work colleagues Nicole, Margo, Paisley and Audrey all appear to be looking forward to a weekend away at Nicole’s luxurious beach house on the Dorset coast. It should be a chance for the women to kick back, relax and regroup after a stressful moment at work.

But this is no normal girls’ getaway. And the beach house is no normal home. This place holds dark secrets for Nicole, which threaten to be revealed when its doors are opened.

And unbeknownst to host Nicole, each of the three other guests all have secrets of their own…and some of them could be deadly.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/beachhousesocial

My Review:

When a group of employees plan a weekend away to “brainstorm” ideas to save the business, something a little more sinister is afoot. A group of people, each with their own secrets, some wishing to reveal all whilst others desperately hoping to keep theirs to themselves.

Honestly, none of the characters were that likeable (which added the intense atmosphere), all are very selfish in their own ways, all in it for their own benefit, although there is one who you may be surprised with by the end, I genuinely didn’t have them down as doing something to help another. I couldn’t really see a genuine friendship connection between them, even for a group of employees – it read as them being awkward around each other, which added to the tense and uncomfortable feel of the book.

The story was told from multiple points of view, which I like and really brought the story to life as each character gave a different twist on what was playing out.

I found the story played out quite slowly, it took quite a while for anything to really happen but once it did everything started unravelling quite quickly, culminating in dramatic events.

I wasn’t overly surprised with the outcomes, the clues are there all the way through, but I did like how it was put together, how the setting enhanced the mood of each character.

An interesting, tense read.

Author Bio:

Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant-owner and private chef (including to members of the royal family). She is the founder and co-host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. Her debut psychological thriller, The Daughter in Law, was a bestseller in the UK, US, Australia and Canada. She lives in Dorset.

Social Media Links:

Twitter https://twitter.com/ninamanning78

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

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The Hub - Nicola May

 

ONE TURKEY FARM, FIVE WILD COLLEAGUES AND A BARN FULL OF MYSTERY

When jilted crime writer August Saunders returns from London to her roots in rural Wiltshire, she feels lost and lacking in inspiration. Determined to reignite her writing mojo, she responds to an advert for a shared workspace in a converted barn.

At the Hub, with its ill-equipped gym, inedible catering and motley array of fellow users, including a matchmaker more interested in her own conquests and a TikToker with a dodgy nocturnal sideline, August is confronted with a real-life mystery to solve.

Why is Max Ronson, the handsome but volatile owner of the Hub, so evasive about his past? And who or what is he hiding on the premises? She is determined to find out – but will her curiosity snuff out the spark of romance?

Nicola May mixes mischief with mystery in a fast-paced rural romp which will make Futtingbrook Farm as beloved a location as Ferry Lane Market or Cockleberry Bay.

Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Cathy Bramley.

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Hub-uplifting-laugh-out-loud-romance-mystery-ebook/dp/B0B4PYPFWC/

My Review:

Nicola May is one of my ‘go to’ authors, I love every book and recommend them to everyone I meet. I am always hooked from page one and ‘The Hub’ was no different.

I am such a fan of her style of writing and the ability to make serious issues be delicately woven with comedy, romance, and the odd bit of drama here and there. Tackling some potentially upsetting themes, The Hub, is another book that presents them carefully and thoughtfully as part of the story and not just for the sake of it.

Our main character is author, August, and I think she is brilliant; she says it like it is but without hurting people’s feelings, she is empathetic and kind, it isn’t surprising that people seem to warm to her instantly.

Meeting the characters who also work from The Hub was a highlight, what a great group of characters who each bring their own element of fun. I loved they were all different yet down to earth and fun.

Max is a puzzle, so up and down. It is clear that he is hiding something but what and why remains a mystery, but one August is keen to solve.

Highs and lows, fun and sadness. Turkeys, police raids and matchmaking! I absolutely LOVED every second of reading The Hub. 

Author Bio:

Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. She is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Her books are translated into fourteen languages. Two of them won awards at the Festival of Romance, and another was named ebook of the week in The Sun. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK, across all genres, in January 2019, and was Amazon’s third-bestselling novel in that year. Described by Winifred Robinson of BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours as ‘the invisible bestselling author’, Nicola campaigned successfully for the introduction of ebook charts in the publishing trade press.

 

Social Media Links:

T: https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

W: www.nicolamay.com

Nicola May - Home | Facebook

i: https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

BLOGTOUR - Victory for the East End Angels - Rosie Hendry

Victory for the East End Angels

The war is almost over - and it's up to the East End Angels to keep the home fires burning!

Frankie's fiance, a doctor, is away looking after the troops in Europe - will he return safely home?

Winnie has a happy secret - but can she carry on at Station 75 when she's going to have a baby?

Bella is intrigued by her new friend, a Polish airman.

As the war ends and victory is in sight, what next for the girls of Station 75?

A gorgeously uplifting saga for fans of Ellie Dean and Donna Douglas

My review:

What a charming tale of spirited, strong and determined women doing their best through the trying circumstances of the end of the war.

I read this book having not read any of the previous ones in the series and it does work well as a standalone but I do believe you’d possibly have more of an emotional connection to the characters if you had ‘lived through’ their past. I was truly swept into their world, but I believe if you are a fan of any series you are bound to be closer to the characters.

Bella, Winnie, Rose and Frankie are the East End Angels and they are all part of Station 75, working as ambulance drivers and attendants. They have been through a lot during the war but as the end approaches so do the introduction of the devastating V1 and V2 rockets – causing more destruction and carnage. These are some strong women – testament to what people really did do for the war effort, it really does serve as a reminder to appreciate those that risked everything for us today.

This book gives us highs and lows – love, heartbreak, death, marriage and fresh hope in times of darkness. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions for all involved. We see how, even with the end of the war, lives couldn’t automatically go back to how they were before and for many it was a bittersweet time. I think it was great we saw each of the characters approach the way ending differently; how they had been a solid team, always there for each other and being the ones they relied on and at the end  they all seemed to part (whilst remaining the greatest of friends).

I think the writing is wonderful, very descriptive and emotive – the way the devastation was fully described yet without being too much or not in keeping with the style of the book. The pace was quick, with short chapters and it progressed nicely.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will  be interested in catching up on what I missed from earlier in the series. Thank you to Rosie Hendry and Rachels Randoms Reviews. 

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

US  - https://www.amazon.com/Victory-East-Angels-Rosie-Hendry-ebook/dp/B07N6DVRD4

About the Author: 

Rosie Hendry lives by the sea in Norfolk with her husband, two children, chickens and a snake. She's worked in a variety of jobs from fruit picking, waitressing, teaching and as a research scientist but has always loving reading and writing. Starting off writing short stories for women's magazines, her stories have gradually become longer as her children have grown bigger.

Listening to her father's tales of life during the Second World War sparked Rosie's interest in this period and she's especially intrigued by how women’s lives changed during the war years. She loves researching further, searching out gems of real-life events which inspire her writing.

When she's not working, Rosie enjoys walking along the beach, reading and is grateful for the fact that her husband is a much better cook than her.

Website: www.rosiehendry.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RosieHendrybooks/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/hendry_rosie