murder Archives - Page 6 of 14 - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Marple’ by Agatha Christie and others…

Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this book, one of the most highly anticipated books of the year for me, a keen Agatha Christie fan!

Blog Tour: ‘The Butcher and the Wren’ by Alaina Urquhart

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Butcher and the Wren’, a tense and terrifying serial killer mystery set in the bayous of Louisiana.

Thanks to Sriya at Michael Joseph for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review – opinions are always my own.

Book Review: ‘The Cruise’ by Catherine Cooper

Having read Cooper’s previous books – ‘The Chalet’ and ‘The Chateau’ – I knew what to expect. Glamorous settings, a small cast of seriously dodgy people and a twisty mystery that I wouldn’t be able to predict!

I wasn’t wrong!

Book Review: ‘The Girls Who Disappeared’ by Claire Douglas

I’m always in the market for a twisty crime novel and this one seemed to good to pass up!

The story opens with the past disappearance of three teenage girls. Four of them drove home in one car but – after an accident – only one injured girl remains. Where did they go? Now, twenty years later, Jenna Halliday has come to Stafferbury to make a podcast about the events of that night. She needs the co-operation of Olivia, the survivor, but why won’t Olivia speak about her missing friends? Jenna finds herself in danger as she starts to uncover the secrets held by the residents of the small town.

Book Review: ‘The Cliff House’ by Chris Brookmyre

I started reading this book on Pigeonhole, a chunk at a time, released daily. This is definitely one you don’t want to read in small chunks – to keep up with everyone and to not constantly be on a cliffhanger, you need to devour this in one sitting! Thanks to NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: ‘Dear Little Corpses’ by Nicola Upson

If you haven’t yet discovered Nicola Upson’s excellent historical crime series, here’s your chance.

This novel takes place in the early days of World War Two as war is declared and children evacuated en masse to the country. The Suffolk village in which Josephine Tey is living ends up with a lot more evacuees than planned, forcing those who didn’t want to take children to open their homes – the scene in the village hall where the evacuees are being homed made me really think of ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ in all the best ways! When a child goes missing, Tey and the villagers start asking questions and pointing fingers…

Book Review: ‘Cat and Mouse’ by M J Arlidge

You pretty much know what you’re getting with an M. J. Arlidge crime novel – a high body count, scary and gruesome murders, lots of twists and DI Helen Grace doing her maverick thing along the way! This one is no exception and it’s a satisfying addition to the series.

In this book, a killer is targeting people in their Southampton homes – attacking when they are alone or vulnerable. DI Grace and her team are called in to investigate, but immediately struggle with finding the link between the victims. As the murders continue, the police investigation seems to be going nowhere and the stakes continue to rise. With DI Grace in danger herself, it’s a race against time to stop a killer.

Book Review: ‘Hope to Die’ by Cara Hunter

A new Cara Hunter book is always a treat – and this is no exception. I read A LOT of crime fiction and think that Cara Hunter’s books are among the best.

This is the sixth book in the series featuring DI Adam Fawley and his team – although there are some plotlines that run across the books (mainly to do with the team’s personal lives and relationships), I think this could be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Book Review: ‘The Botanist’ by M W Craven

A new book by M W Craven is always a treat – usually a gory, gruesome, twisty treat, but a treat nevertheless!

This book – the fifth featuring Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw – is another excellent addition to the series. Regular readers will not be at all disappointed, but if you haven’t made the acquaintance of Poe and Bradshaw before then I’d recommend that you start with Book 1, ‘The Puppet Show’. This novel makes total sense as a standalone, but you really don’t want to miss the rest of the books!

Blog Tour: ‘The Bloodless Boy’ by Robert J Lloyd

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Bloodless Boy’ – a fabulous historical crime novel that is out in paperback on 14th July.

I am absolutely delighted to be opening this tour – thanks to Nikki at Melville House Press for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book for review. As always, opinions are entirely my own.