Category: Mystery

‘Are You Watching?’ – Vincent Ralph

A fast-paced thriller for the social media age. Like Nerve, it has its flaws but it hooks you in, draws you in, twists and turns until spitting you out at the end.

Jess has lived for years defined by the events that happened when she was seven. Her mother was brutally murdered in an alleyway less than a minute from her home. She was the first victim of the killer who has been dubbed The Magpie Man. A solitary magpie has always been seen as bad luck, but this moniker stemmed from her father’s attempts to protect his daughter and make sense of something brutal – he told Jess his mum was taken because she was beautiful and magpies like to collect shiny things.

Now, Jess is determined to step out from the shadows. She wants to find the killer…he has thirteen victims to his name so far, and Jess believes it’s only a matter of months until he tries to find another victim.

So Jess signs up to take part in a reality TV show streamed on You Tube. Each person chosen is filmed one day a week for a month. Whoever gets the highest views will then be watched for a further three months. Jess is determined to take her chance to catch her mother’s killer.

What follows is highly improbable. Jess does some very stupid things. People who should know better allow stupid things to happen. But it all adds up to a jumpy tension-filled story. Highly enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my review.

 

‘Hitler’s Secret (Tom Wilde 4)’ – Rory Clements

When I requested this on NetGalley I was fascinated by the idea of the story, and had no idea this was part of a series. I was concerned that it would make little sense on its own – and I’m sure some of these characters and their relationships would be clearer if you knew the previous books – but I worried needlessly.

In this book, Tom Wilde is called upon to carry out what can best be described as a foolish mission: to travel to Germany and remove a package of extreme importance. What nobody tells him is that the package is actually a ten year old girl thought to be the secret daughter of Adolf Hitler.

From the outset we are witness to some unpleasant events. This is a regime built on terror, and some of the behaviours shown are chilling. There’s still good guys, and though we’re not always sure of the boundaries we have to place our trust in them.

The book takes us through a number of terrifying scenarios. It’s enough to make anyone applaud the bravery of those who risk their life for such situations, even if we’re also shaking our heads in sorrow at the brutality and callousness shown by some inherently selfish characters.

The backdrop to the story seemed plausible, and the blending of fact and fiction creates an interesting atmosphere. I was pleased that we were offered another viable reality for Klara at the end of the book, but I’m guessing there’ll be more to come from Wilde.

 

‘All the Rage’ – Cara Hunter

A tightly plotted, fast-moving read that shows this series is getting better and better.

Our story begins with someone watching a young woman. Deliberately vague, I confess to still not being sure of the significance of this scene. We then switch to another young woman preparing for a night out. When we next see her she is being picked up by a taxi driver who fears she’s been attacked.

Having had a bag put over her head, her wrists tied and her knickers pulled down, there’s no doubt this was a premeditated attack. Her refusal to involve the police seems odd…and it’s not until some further digging has taken place that we realise just why Faith is reluctant to speak up. The police are not entirely sure who is responsible, or the motives for this attack, but they are on high alert.

Days later another young girl, Sasha Blake, goes missing. When her body is found there’s concern that the crimes may be linked. Alongside the general investigative stuff (which rattled along so well), we learn of a past crime that Fawley was involved in. There are unnerving similarities between the crimes and though there’s the suggestion of a copycat killer, the person imprisoned for these violent crimes has always sworn his innocence and these latest developments strongly suggest that the police may have got the wrong man.

I was completely consumed in trying to get to the bottom of this one. There were numerous plausible possibilities and each option seemed pretty unpleasant. The actual truth was heart-wrenchingly awful. And as for the closing scene with our ‘innocent’ man being released, it doesn’t bode well for what’s to come.

Scheduled for release later this month, a huge thank you to NetGalley for getting my 2020 reading off to such a good start!

 

‘Now Entering Addamsville’ – Francesca Zappia

Zora Novak is not the most likeable of characters. She is surly and definitely has a chip on her shoulder – but as we learn more about her, it’s easier to understand her.

One thing we are told very early on is that Zora is being framed.

We know that when the home of the local janitor burns down, Zora was the last to see him. He was telling her off – and in Addamsville that is reason enough to suspect Zora of wanting to burn his home down. This is, in part, because of events of a few years earlier which we learn about during the course of the novel.

Without giving away too many details, it’s important that we know Zora has a special skill. She can see the dead, and is (like her mother) responsible for keeping her town free of the entities they call firestarters. Unfortunately, her mother disappeared five years ago and since then Zora has been trying to keep her town safe without really knowing what she’s doing.

As if these events weren’t bad enough, a team of investigative journalists hunting ghosts have come to Addamsville determined to get a scoop. This seems a rather unnecessary plot side-line, but stick with it. It all matters.

Initially I was drawn to this having enjoyed Eliza and her Monsters. This is quite different, and it did take me a while to really start linking ideas/events. Personally, I’d have liked to see a little more focus on the paranormal elements of this. I’ve also got so many questions about her mother, Bach and just what on earth is going on with the town of Addamsville.

 

‘When the Dead Come Calling’ – Helen Sedgwick

When the Dead Come Calling is an intriguing read, like no crime novel I’ve read before, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication in March 2020.
Set in the northern coastal town of Burrowhead, we get to see a dark underbelly to a seemingly rural idyll. Secrets abound, and there’s a small-town mentality to the characters in this that is both understandable but also scary.
The style is unusual for a crime novel, and may not be to everyone’s tastes.
At the start of the novel we learn of the discovery of a body in the local playground. It is that of a local doctor. His body is discovered by a local police officer, who also happens to be his boyfriend. A note is discovered near his body suggesting that racism could be a factor in this crime.
As I imagine to be common in a police case, details are not immediately forthcoming. We spend what seems like a lot of time trying to work out what is going on, and when another body is discovered to try and establish the links.
What struck me most while reading was that everyone seemed to be harbouring some kind of secret. I don’t want to give away details that affect the reading, but this is definitely a read that becomes more engaging as we learn more about those involved.
Throughout the story I was struck by the references to the past of the village, and the beliefs that seemed to shape the attitudes of those currently living there. I am still unclear as to how some of the references to the Others are linked, but I understand this is the first in a series so we may get answers further in the future.

‘Capturing the Devil’ – Kerri Manascalco

A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has Audrey and Thomas fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer—or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.

After something of a sidestep, Audrey and Thomas are back in more familiar territory for the finale. We have journeyed with them to New York, and the signs are clear that someone on the ship with them has been killing. For what purpose, we don’t know, but the killings bear the marks of someone close to them.

From our earlier encounters, we know that Nathaniel – Audrey’s brother – who is thought to be the Ripper is dead. They haven’t shared this news with anyone else, but as soon as certain similarities appear it seems that perhaps Nathaniel wasn’t working alone.

While this shadow looms over them, the young couple are forging their own way. They are determined to marry and Audrey’s father journeys to meet them. Everything is going well – so much so that Audrey finds herself in a potentially life-shattering scenario. Unfortunately, Thomas’s father seems to have his own ideas of what kind of match is appropriate for his son.

Difficult decisions, and we get a clear sense of the social conventions playing on these characters. Determined to be true to themselves, the couple head to Chicago, in order to try and solve the mystery of the killer who has come to be known as the White Devil. 

There are some great characters who appear that I wish we’d met sooner. Their appearance fleshes things out a little. I was quite surprised at the obvious flouting of conventions that we see, but it fits with what has already happened.

The most recent escapade leads to some truly awful scenarios, and there are some heart-in-mouth moments where you’re never quite sure we’re not going to be horribly disappointed. We see more focus on the social dynamics, and I think this was a fitting end to the series.

 

‘Someone Else’s House’ – Jessica Vallance

Sometimes you don’t see how you’re being manipulated, and sometimes the most abusive relationships are those that start so positively.

Our main character in this, Lauren, is introduced to us when she makes the momentous decision to dump her long-standing boyfriend because of his moodiness and emotionally abusive behaviour. She’s, naturally, not immediately at ease with the situation so jumps at the chance to go on holiday with her best friend.

Rather oddly a new friend tags along. They seem to get along okay, but there are little signs that things might not be quite what we expect. Odd things start to happen, and we can’t quite work out how things are going to go.

Without giving too much away, Lauren’s past is important.

Once we start to learn a little more of her past then we can see that certain events have a more sinister feel. The question is not just who is messing with her, but why.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my thoughts.

 

‘Out of the Easy’ – Ruta Sepetys

Immersed in 1950s New Orleans, this was a great read.

Seventeen year old Josie Moraine is the daughter of a prostitute. For years she’s looked after herself, and is desperate to make something of her life.

Helped by Willie, the local brothel madam her mother works for, and a number of other characters Josie tries to break out of the chaos brought to her life by her mother.

There was a warmth to this that really shone through. Josie was a determined character who was dealt a pretty tough time, yet she tried her best to rise above it. Her mother was not a caricature villain, but her behaviour was appalling.
The main thrust of the story is Josie trying to do the right thing by the people she interacts with, while learning about herself. She dreams of a better life, and yet at every opportunity this seems to elude her.

While the ending might not be quite the one she planned for herself, it brought things full circle and really showed the relationships she invested in to be positive and beneficial.

Sepetys is fast becoming a go-to author for me.

 

‘The Third Twin’ – C.J. Omololu

This took a little while to get going then went haywire.

Lexi has always thought of herself as serious, focused and rather dull. She’s set on studying business at Stanford. So, when we learn that she and her twin sister, Ava, have an alter-ego they use when they want to cut loose it comes as a bit of a surprise. Alicia is someone who likes to party, and who does crazy things just for fun.

Though Lexi dislikes the way this often ends up, she recognises that playing at being someone else can free her to be a little more adventurous than normal. However, when a boy she meets up with one night is then killed things start to seem less fun.

Somehow, without really quite knowing how we got to this point, two more boys end up dead. The only link being their dates with Alicia. Lexi doesn’t want to believe it, but could her sister really be a killer?

From the moment of the third murder we are plunged into crazy territory. The sisters are on the run from the police, wanted for murder and nobody trusts the other. Then we get a true humdinger of a revelation that makes little sense, but definitely ties up a few loose ends.

A bit like Pretty Little Liars it’s implausible, highly exaggerated and yet quite good fun.

 

‘The Understudy’ – Sophie Hannah, Claire Mackintosh, B.A. Paris and Holly Brown

On paper this sounds like an idea that might work…four very different writers (all very good at what they do) each take a section of story and work it into a whole novel.

Our story focuses on a group of girls at the Orla Flynn Academy, a stage school where there are some definite divas…and not just among the students. A fairly tight-knit group of four friends. We’re given some backstory about one of them bullying another last year, but things are better. At least, until odd things start to happen to the girl who should have been expelled for bullying. Coinciding with this is the Head’s attempt to smooth things over, the arrival of a new student who might act as the gel the group needs to bond them.

From the outset we’re never quite sure of the truth. We get shifting views from the mothers, and as the weird events get progressively more dangerous we can see there’s something we’re not being told.

Though the style of telling worked well (with each chapter adding something else to the mix) the book just fell a little flat for me at times. The characters were all fairly unlikeable, and I didn’t feel we had enough invested in any of them to really care one way or another what happened.