RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

3.5* Kind of horrifying in how evil a couple of 18yos were, and what they've turned into.  I so wanted to smack at least 3 of the characters in this book. Their actions as barely-adults, 20 years ago, and now, were quite despicable. Lies, deceipt, cheating, optics, evil, entitlement, murder, looking down at others - you name it. These were friends? Who needs enemies when you have friends like this?  I loved how Audrey pursued the truth, how she valued herself despite not seeing herself as good as the others because of not going to uni. I loved how the truth got outed and how the baddie's world got wiped out from under them, after starting to unravel yonks before, because it was built on lies. I loved seeing her in the place she'd dreamed of, better late than never, not having changed from the very decent person she was. It's sad that another's life was ruined through lies, too, but that it's unlikely there'd be justice for him, although personal happiness se...

4* Sad, but a very good read with sooo many that deserved their comeuppance. This is my 2nd read by this author, and tbh, the title didn't fill me with that much enthusiasm, but her previous book was a very decent read, so I dived in without reading more than the NG blurb. Which enhanced my reading experience. This is a sad, at times brutal book, which I wasn't expecting. I mean, the sadness, yes, but not the DA - I do think the book needs a warning about that, as it was aimed at an entire family, with minors, and with physical brutality and psychological games. It's no wonder that one of the progeny ended up the psychopath they were. And, I was pissed off that the perpetrator, yes, he lost his career, his reputation (faux, worked at much like an influencer does) and kids, otherwise got off pretty scot-free, able to rebuild a career, idc, but not without a grey cloud. He really, really deserved more punishment for the DA. Ht actions led to the saddest event of this tale, al...

4.5* Excellent penultimate book in this series. Hoping there's not too long a wait for the last one. Margot feels like she's ready to take a risk in life, finally, although not immediately  - she's signalled to Wes that there's something to address, but not right now. And with no indication of when the right time will come. It works for them, as they're in tune with each other and care deeply about each other, which is especially evidenced when Wes gathers stuff that exonerates someone she'd have been heartbroken to find is/was Ed's accomplice.  The tale doesn't differ much from the previous ones, although Ed admits something that adds new direction to the cold cases. Is he lying? I thought maybe but when Margot and Andrew confront said something,  a truly shocking incident happens.  I wondered if she might end up leaving her unit for the FBI, based on their seeming newfound appreciation of her. That could be how the author closes the series.  We sew Jus...

3.5* Wasn't expecting this, but a worthy introduction to this author, with decent red herrings. There are quite a few twists in this ultimately rather sad, and weirdly low-key, tale, despite the tension of some of the chapters. The 'secret of her own' part didn't feel necessary and didn't really go anywhere but the rest was nicely done.  I couldn't quite believe the machinations of the person harassing and gaslighting Serena, but kind of did get their motivation. The former were creepy, and when things cane to light, actually pretty sadly inderstandable from the perspective presented. But, twisted. The tale elements involving the mysterious woman were well orchestrated. The nosy neighbour guy turned out to be an excellent and believable addition. The mother losing her child aspect, and what triggered the main mystery of the tale, were neatly done. The author had me thinking one thing of the husband who kept mysteriously disappearing at odd hours, then I thought ...

 3* Refreshing that it's set in good old UK, and not London at that, but there's lots of bad policing and an overemphasis on a certain character that gives the book away. I liked that this tale was set in the north of England and that characters seemed on the whole, real. I didn't like the mantalk at times from the DCI, who it didn't sound like had had any DEI training, which isn't believable in 2025. Getting to know your team members' names is paramount, not associating females with their hair colour to remember them, or at least if that's your M.O., you don't say it out loud.  It felt like the person doing the real detecting was Maria, a bit of a side character. The others participated in briefings but didn't seem particularly effective. No door-to-door when another female is taken, immediately after a missing female is discovered, doesn't ring true. Realising there's a common theme and not going there 'cos you like a certain character ...

4* Another good read with unexpected twists and reveals.  You don't have to have read the previous books in this series to enjoy this one, but the recurring characters are a decent bunch, and I'm vested in finding out what happens to Anna and what form her eventual revenge takes, and would like to see the comeuppance that her ex deserves. I feel for her but ugh, she's also being a silly cow by allowing the domestic abuser back into her life. Anyway, I digress. This is a tale set about 50 years in the past, as well as in the present. Two very separate storylines that the author's managed to skilfully work alongside each other, as separate 'cases', with Sheridan kind of being the thing that makes them gel. I think the definition of 'scally' totally works in a certain character here, you can't help but root for him and want justice done. I liked how he got his revenge whilst keeping his promise to Sheridan. And there's more of Maud, who seems to eat...

4* My first, but definitely not last, read by this author.  I'm normally a reader of tales that have a solid start of a romance to them as an added bonus to the police procedurals/murder-mysteries that I've moved to in the last year, since full-on romance novels got too eye-rollingly twee for me. This tale doesn't have any of this, nor did it have a likeable or sympathetic female lead (the male one felt superfluous to requirements), but it was very well done in the investigation aspects, with Sloane being enough of a sociopath to make her believable and effective in her frankly 'who does that as an adult?' behaviours. I think that she bonded with and took in an old dog that'd have ended up in a pound, showed that she wasn't entirely without feelings. She definitely doesn't think about or care about consequences, which worked for the work she does. She's a skilled liar, as she doesn't have a moral compass to measure things against. It made for a p...