RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

4* Works absolutely perfectly because of the 90s setting. I hadn't read the blurb fully, or hadn't paid enough attention and didn't realise that the tale is mostly set in the 90s. It did irritate a bit but my bad for not checking, and boy did it turn into a decent read.  It's skillfully done, blending present, past, then present, then past, and it has human aspects as well as police procedural ones. We get to learn about the now-DS, her then-DC, how chauvinistic policing was back in the 90s, and the tale was very believable. Not at first, but the author dovetailed really well and the icing on the cake came for several people, one of whom wasn't alive at the end of the tale, but whose life had found purpose and happiness. Not all cake recipients were aware of the icing and I suspect that if a DNA test gets done - a likelihood  - there will be questions and more icing. And recriminations, too. I liked that the now-DS's instincts were so strong and good and that de...

4* Dreary and grim, a sad and vivid picture of Scotland that doesn't make it into the news, although it exists. Drugs and Scotland aren't something the press reports on, focusing more on its natural beauty and resources. This very readable but painful tale tells another story, one of drugs and addiction in 'ordinary' kids, one of heavies and protection rackets, and people who live in fear and despondency. It's a sad, tough read, with a baddie I thought I'd sussed - lots of hints, lots of reasons - but in actuality was the last person I'd thought of. It was a sad waste of a life that'd been turned around and was heading for a positive future. There was, too, sadly, betrayal from more than one, and I admired the victim's mum for what she did despite her loss. Pretty sure I'd have done the same. ARC courtesy of Penguin Random House and NetGalley for my reading pleasure. 

 3* Worth a read for the decency that there is in people, still, but the tale missed the mark for me because Miri just faded away too quickly and emotionlessly.  There's not been a book that I've not enjoyed by this author until now, sadly. It was still very readable but I expected to be in tears for most of it, yet wasn't. I found it far too lite on emotions, especially given that there were 2 kids who lost a mum here, but the focus seemed all Bestie's Feelings, Bestie's Feelings, Bestie's Feelings. And I didn't see or feel any spark between her and Weston, although I could see why the author paired them up. For me, the teen-Miri part got hinted at then totally skipped some 16/17 years. I'd have thought being dumped by her boyfriend when she told him she was pregnant might have made her wise to him, but nope, she let him back into her life only for history to repeat itself and for her eldest child to be hurt, smd abandoned twice. Then, we found that she...

 4* Stunned that this only SR's 2nd novel. Dark, dreary, almost dull at times but goodness, does she drag readers in. I didn't like - but I appreciated and was enthralled by - the author's first book, as it was too draining and stark. Yet like that one, this one completely drew me in with SR's ability to make everything seem realistic and believable. This one was sadder than the other because of the broken relationships that could've been salvaged had there not been toxic masculinity as examples of being a man, and people lying out of being scorned. The reveals are actually very sad, because someone who started off being hard done by, but who wanted to help others, got in over their head and things escalated.  I was nearly put off by the frankly awful female lead that was Teddy. Too much wanting to be an almost-cop to be mum and wife. Too much letting her kids down. Too much judgey about her ex and his younger fiancée, without whom Teddy's kids would've been...

Not really sure how to 'star' this, as most of the short story went above my head, sadly. This started with a bit of intrigue: a young, married gay guy, Julian, gets a random email from an unknown female sender, Chloe, and doesn't delete it because the name Paul appears in the header. He leaves it a while, then reaches out and the two meet and talk about Paul, with Chloe knowing Paul very, very well, and Julian not, although apparently, Paul was in love with him. Well, this went above my head. I found it boring and pointless talking about a man Julian barely knew but who'd apparently fallen in love with him over a spilled coffee in a Starbucks. I couldn't make out if Chloe loved, hated or couldn't really care about Paul's passing. Sadly, an unsatisfying read as it couldn't hold my interest. 

3* Entertaining enough but a bit too long. And all the utterances of "doll" got a bit much.  This is my first offering from this author and at first, until kookaburras got mentioned, I thought the tale was set in the British countryside. There wasn't any discernible Aussie speech, but omg, how many times did the lead's husband need to call her "doll"? It's an okay cosy mystery but there's a lot of red herrings and I'm not sure I believed who the killer/s were. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

2.5* Sadly, not a patch on the Emily Ray series.  This book had a decent female lead thrust into an improbable situation on her first day of work - she catches a rapist and killer, and he wants her to be the only person he'll talk to. Cue pissed-off older cops, accusations of nepo baby - her detective father's retiring on the day  he starts - and her being out of her depth with just the briefest of briefings as to how to conduct the interview. Which turns into interviews, and her getting more conflicted with differing advice, until she goes out and out with flirting. I kid you not. Her dad's an old-type cop who thinks nothing of roughing up suspects, doing what's needed to put bad guys - in his opinion - away. He's outdated and retires but decides to take up cold cases and win the day. He has a win but gets cocky, gets manipulated, stalks a new neighbour he suspects of having a fake ID and being a criminal from a past case (nothing adds up, but conveniently, a menta...