RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

 Another good sortie in this series, which doesn't need to be read in order. More police procedural this time than focusing on personal relationships of existing characters. This series works well without mention of DS Hart's romance with Mike, or DC Jones's with Harinder. The storyline focuses on the first gruesome murder, and at first it seems as if it's a one- off, but the second adds confusion and potentially another suspect/s to the tale. I suspected who the killer was, and whilst his explanation fell a bit flat, it sort of did work because of the sometimes-stereotyped character he was (trying not to Spoiler!). I also wondered why some of the team would start something and leave it incomplete, which could've led to the murderer before, but hey, we're human. It ends with DC Jones in a better place than in the last book, and with DS Hart's life taking a new direction, and that she sees her worth and has the support of her colleagues. I liked that there wa...

4* Good author intro, a solid little muder-mystery tale in quiet quaint England. Hahaha ha! This book is a very good intro to this author, and despite it being the last in a trilogy set in this slightly strange little village somewhere in England, I didn't struggle to get into it. There's no huge info dump, just enough that you know who's who, and who's with who; a few red herrings; and a few dead bodies. It's done nicely and believably and no one seems to have anything to prove in the local police shop, so everyone gets on and does their job to solve the crime.  The focus at the start of the tale on a particular couple kind of went nowhere in the end, so it's a little bit irritating that a tad too much was hinted at. I think if it was meant to be a red herring, the author didn't do it well, which is why the tale, for me at least, loses 1*. I checked the other books in the series out based on this, and they seem to feature the male detective more, so I think...

 4* Solid police procedural, though I'm not sure how Hollie was permitted to remain on the case, given her connection to events from the past. This is sad and horrifying in parts, as well as satisfying when you read about the awful deaths inflicted on those who frankly deserved what they got. It's a well-orchestrated tale that has more than meets the eye, and the ending was a pretty decent surprise. I suspect it drew more than a little from child trafficking rings that've made headlines in places such as Rochdale in the not too distant past, but here, most of the guilty paid for it, satisfyingly, an eye for an eye (not PC, I know, but who cares?). I liked that there was closure for Hollie, Moira and 2 others, whose lives had no doubt gone down the 'if only' route. There's some solid old-fashioned policework here, although that Hollie was allowed to remain on the case required a lot of suspension of disbelief.  I'm not sure I liked Hollie enough, though, to w...

4* Slow to start and to engage with the narrator, but it drew me in and I didn't see the reveals, or the finale, coming. The narrator of the tale, Karen, who's turned author, isn't at all a likeable person, or one that I could engage with. She came across as self-serving, including a green-card marriage to be able to stay in the US, and via the extracts of her book that're included, it became very clear that 18yo her hadn't been truthful about events that led to 'The Bagman' and another guy being incarcerated. At the very end, what she actually did that came to light? Wow, it made me despise her. How do you get so evil at that age? Especially where it concerns your alleged best friend? I'm not going to spoiler the tale but who needs friends like Karen?  The tale also made it sound like she hated and felt too good for the northern England town she came from; her mother; her past; the cards life dealt her, and yet right at the end, there's an about fac...

4* Not necessary to have read the previous books in this series to enjoy this one. There's enough told/hinted at at the right spots in this tale so that a brand new reader, like myself, won't be lost getting to grips with Jack's world. Although, saying that, I will be picking up the rest, as it's intriguing to know more about his brother Mac and what happened to him and his wife, and also, I think Jack and Mac's childhood habe affected them to the point of influencing Jack's career and somewhat suspect decisions. As a cop, he's been both shortsighted and openhearted, and sadly, a bit blind and in need of some therapy. I don't know if he was mandated therapy in previous tales, but a cop of his level, dealing with the public and press conferences cannot act like he does and still be in the role. That's part of the tale that lost 1* for me. It's just not believable that in 2024 PC UK, he'd get away with what he's done more than once - the se...

4* A bit unbelievable in parts, unless Scottish coppers do things a bit differently to English ones, but an interesting read.  It's not necessary for readers to have picked up books 1 and 2 before diving into this one,  as enough info's given so you get an idea of Malkie, Steph and his love interest. The latter doesn't feature too prominently but might be a bit more visible in the next tale as Malkie will likely need emotional support after what he discovers towards the end of this tale.  You don't learn tons about the characters, just enough that you understand why they go about their jobs as they do, what made them who they are. A couple of things shocked me, particularly where Steph us concerned, as how can 'management' not pursue something that's been turned into.sm official complaint?  But, the above aren't the main elements of the tale. The storyline in this is well done, part-sad when you realise the motivations, part-horrifying when it dawns on a...

3* Was on track to be a 4* read but for that forced, faux-feeling 'fight' scene that added nothing, post the reveal that added nothing, and did no one any good. This, I'm pleased to say, is not an out-and-out sad book. It's one in which 2 characters are grieving but the humour and quips made it enjoyable, not really sad. Tbh, the author told us about the grieving but it didn't really come alive, no pun intended, on the pages. I mean, the theory, the telling was there but we didn't really have scenes with Alice or Ben breaking down. Was it plausible? Not really, especially after she moved to Australia and Covid19 came along, but Harry's SOH made it fun to see who Ben would be each year. But, it began to drag after year 5. Too same-same, too not-moving-on-enough.  Ben's woes with Katie felt fabricated. I think by then he'd begun to sink into some kind of depression but that wasn't expressed clearly and his excuses felt flimsy and a bit wet, tbh. Th...

4* An addictive read, but had it not been told in flashback, I think it'd give bi-rep a bad name, sadly.  This is my first read by this author, and whilst it drew me in, the blurb is misleading. I didn't get what I expected, but it was a decent if painful and slightly 'suspend disbelief' read.. The surviving leads in this book are 31, and the tale flashes between 2025 and 2012. Devon's realisation of her bisexuality is well done in how she's made to feel because of her upbringing, the church, the locals, the small-mindedness of people, and her mother's stance and shame. This 2025 small-town America sounds a lot like modern-day India/similarly traditional countries in how fingers are pointed, which is shocking and sad, and which I grew up with. It's hard being different. I don't want to spoiler it, but I can't help feel that 17yo Devon got away with having her cake and eating it - pretty much literally and metaphorically - because of all of the ab...