The Killer Instinct

 The Killer Instinct

Detective Margot Phalen Series #3

Kate Wiley

Reviewed by Helen

As this series grows, we are learning more about both Margot and her serial killer father Ed and with another body found in the Muir Woods and the body of an elderly Chinese woman in China Town, Detective Phalen is seeing a close resemblance to her father’s victim’s, could they be linked in some way, she knows her father didn’t commit them but could he be masterminding them from behind bars, Margot is determined to find out.

Searching for evidence in China Town sees them find a page torn out of the book on her father’s first victim has the hairs on her body stand on end, what her and Wes discover bring them in contact with someone who obviously has an obsession with her father but are there reasons this young man hold Ed in such esteem?

This case is going to have Margot digging deep into her mind to confront her past, wondering more and more about herself and with her father pushing her for more visits telling them about more victims, Margot is just about at the end of her tether with him, will the visits continue and will they ever find out the truth about the serial killer, Margot’s father Ed Finch?

This is another great installment in this series one that I highly recommend to any reader who loves a good mystery thriller, I do look forward to the next book.

My thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

October 28, 2024 by Storm Publishing

Out in Nowhere

 Out in Nowhere

Fleur McDonald

Reviewed by Helen

What can I say firstly it is a Detective Dave Burrows story and Fleur McDonald has nailed it again, with a fabulous rural crime suspense that had me turning the pages I could barely put this one down, add Constable Mia Worth to the story and really you have a must read book.

Hallie Donaldson has been married to Alex for five years now and they have a two year old daughter Ruby, life in the outback is not always easy for a city girl, the flies, the snakes the heat and of course the distance between neighbours can be a bit isolating, today Alex is out checking the windmills and there are some cameras so her and Ruby can watch Alex work, when neighbor Danny drops in and Alex’s father Rod and Alex has not returned they go check the cameras and Alex is lying on the ground not moving.

Dave and Mia are called and soon there is an investigation going on, Hallie tells them all she knows Alex’s blood brothers, friends since Agriculture collage arrive and there are lots of questions but not a lot of answers yet and then when sadly friend and neighbor Danny is found dead on the side of a road, Mia thinks that two rural accidents in a week seems very suspicious to her and pushes for more investigations.

Hallie is packing up to move at the request of her in-laws and what she discovers make Dave and Mia realise that all is not what it seems and are quickly doing a deep investigation of quite a few more people, what will they uncover?

I loved this one so much it has everything, a fabulous story line that is sure to keep the reader enthralled and learning more about the personal aspects of Dave’s life and I love that Mia is holding her own and standing up more, Dave is a fabulous mentor for her, I as always look forward to the next Dave book, can’t wait, I do highly recommend this one.

My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

October 29, 2024 by Allen & Unwin AU

The Valley

 The Valley

Ivan Lucis & Nell Buchanan #4

Chris Hammer

Reviewed by Helen

I am loving this series, when Ivan and Nell are sent on another case this time to small town down south a long drive from home base in Dubbo, it ends up being very personal for Nell when the body of a well -known entrepreneur is found, it is discovered through DNA that Nell is a close blood relative, what else will they uncover in this investigation?

It seems that the past in encroaching on the present in this investigation, an old gold mine that some locals tried to re-open thirty odd years ago, a robbery a couple of years before that what really happened in The Valley all those years ago and what has Nell’s mother got to do with it, is it linked to police and political corruption and is it linked to the this murder? What will Ivan and Nell uncover, will the truth come out and will Nell finally find out who her father is?

This is such a brilliant story, I love Chris Hammer’s writing style he pulls the reader in with so many scenarios of what could or could not have happened he had me thinking throughout and wanting to get to the end to get all of the answers, I think Ivan and Nell are fabulous characters and they team up together so well, this one has a cast of wonderful characters who all added to the story and it is one that I highly recommend to any lover of a good crime mystery.

My thanks to Allen& Unwin for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

October 1, 2024 by Allen & Unwin

Risky Obsession

 Risky Obsession

Wolf Security #3

Kendall Talbot

Reviewed by Helen

Another fast paced, action packed story in this series, it had me turning the pages as this time Detective Lacey Brooks is offered a job to help out Aria and her Wolf Security team and goes undercover to help find more of the Nazi gold bars she is to team up with treasure hunter Kane Devlin, and the sparks fly.

Lacey has been a police officer for ten years now and doing her best to make amends for the life she led before that but when she is attacked by a criminal Lacey is more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this terrible cartel of criminals once and for all, but when she goes undercover to work with Kane she must keep who she is a secret and told not to trust Kane, but as they fight danger at every turn in the treasure hunt through Germany, Lacey sees Kane for who he truly is.

Kane made a big mistake years before and when his grandfather leaves him is antique shop after spending many years with him treasure hunting is in his blood, he discovers a map hidden behind a painting and finally gets to talk to Aria from Wolf Security about it she finally agrees to him going in search for the gold bars but he must go with another treasure hunter Tory and soon they are travelling through old castles in Germany dodging bullets and doing their best to stay alive.

Can they learn to trust one another because their hearts are swelling with love for each other but to do so they must both be honest with each other first but with killers hunting them down they need to find this gold and stay alive, Kane seeks help from an old friend, Archer Mahoney but will he be in time to save them?

This is such a fast paced story filled with danger and a sensual romance and a story that I highly recommend I am looking forward to the next one in the series,

My thanks to the author and Booksprout for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

September 27, 2024

Scublands

 Scrublands

Marin Scarsden #1

Chris Hammer

Reviewed by Helen

I have read three of Chris Hammer’s books and loved them all and I am starting at the beginning and so glad I did this book is fabulous a gritty crime, thriller story that had me turning the pages, a small town, Riversend in The Riverina and a mass murder one year ago brings journalist Martin Scarsden to the town to do a story of how the town is getting on but what he discovers makes him want to do his own investigation as to what happened that fateful day when a priest opened fire and killed five people.

Martin is digging deep, getting to know the locals and listening to what they have to say, but when he thinks he may have gotten a good inkling of what happened another horror rocks this small town, and the media arrive in droves, Martin is getting front page stories with his reports until everything turns upside down and he finds himself the enemy, but he is determined to not give up.

Martin has demons of his own and with the Sydney homicide police arriving and there is another shocking event, Martin seems to team up with one of the visiting investigators and together they hope to uncover the truth of it all, but will they?

This is a fabulous book, written so well with fabulous characters and a story that kept me guessing all the way through, secrets, cover-ups, but by who?

I do highly recommend this one, it is such a great read,

5 stars

July 25, 2018 by Allen & Unwin

Lest Tides Turn

 Lest Tides Turn

Detective Liz Moorland #3

Phillipa Nefri Clark

Reviewed by Helen

Another brilliant story in this series, Liz Moorland is just so good and now she is part of a new secretive team, there are some people we know and love in with her, Pete, Ben Candice and a few new ones, with plans for their first case to finally find the man who fathered Liz, everything gets changed when old friend and partner Vince’s neighbour Lyndall is kidnapped and the teams jumps in and must get this case solved and Lyndall back before the police take over.

With the disappearance of Lyndall the search is on but there is a lot that Lyndall appears to have kept secret about her life before moving to this small country town, Liz always wondered why she had a panic room and the more the search uncovers the more that could lead to a very dangerous life before, but will they return Lyndall safe and well and will the team come through together, are all of them on the same side and the biggest question who is behind Lyndall’s disappearance in the first place and what is it that they want?

This is such an awesome story, twisty, dangerous for the team and the more they uncover they are realising that there could be links to someone else they are after, which way to turn, this one had me turning the pages and I could hardly put it down as Liz and the team are just starting out but is one of them not on the same path as the rest?

I was so happy to get this one to read and am now eagerly awaiting book four to see where all that they have uncovered ends, or will it. This is a fabulous story and series best to read in order but you won’t be sorry, I loved it so much and I do highly recommend it, Phillipa Nefri Clark never disappoints a must read author for me.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

August 25, 2024 by Phillipa Nefri Clark

The Creeper

 The Creeper

Margaret Hickey

Reviewed by Helen

It is ten years since the murder of five hikers up on Jagged Ridge on the mountain above the small town of Edenville in Victoria’s high country, murder suicide they said when the body of Bill “The Creeper” Durant is found at the scene, open closed case, but with the anniversary looming and a new young cop Sally White in town she is doing some digging on complaints she has received from Lex Durant, Bill’s brother and what she uncovers will have you turning the pages.

Sally is the only cop in the small town and her boyfriend Jim Brear is a park ranger and happens to be the hero who carried the only survivor, Laura down the hill ten years ago, he doesn’t talk about it much, and with Laura coming back to town with a film crew and organizing a vigil, Sally is determined to find answers to the accusations Lex is making about Bill and past discrimination to his family from the police at the time.

Is there a link between the victims it seems the more digging Sally does that there may be but she appears to be putting herself in danger with all of her inquiries and when her boss, who happened to be one of the first officers on the mountain ten years ago suggests that Sally take the family members up to Jagged Ridge for the vigil, Sally must go but will they come back down the hill alive? Will history repeat itself? Is the Creeper dead?

This is such a great story one that I highly recommend to any lovers of a good atmospheric thriller, with twists that had my head turning every which way, MS Hickey has bought the characters to life as well the suspense and the atmosphere on the mountain, I felt every movement up there as Sally finally uncovers what happened ten years ago, this is one not to be missed, I do hope that we see more of Sally in the future.

My thanks to Penguin Books AU for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

July 30, 2024 by Bantam Aust