False Start

 False Start

Blake Willis Thriller Series #2

Steve Shipley

Reviewed by Helen

Book two in this series and it is a busy and action packed one as Blake and wife Becca are pushed to the brink as firstly their best friend and ex-CEO of the company they started CloudPhantom Dr. Daniel Zhu appears to have been kidnapped and what they uncover in trying to find him shocks them to the core.

Blake quickly calls in all the help he can, the people who have helped him before, people he trusts to get Daniel back and stop the takeover of CloudPhantom and in turn this political power intends to take control of Australia, Blake and the team need to work fast to stop them from infiltrating the company the enemy are already starting breakdown the firewalls that are up, decisions need to be made, protect the ones they love or lose the company, is war imminent, will Blake and his team be able to stop the threat in time?

This is a fast paced story where cyberwarfare seems to be the way a political takeover is threatening, so many things can happen in such a short space of time, danger is around every corner and many lives are at risk, will Daniel be returned safe and will they stop the takeover of firstly CloudPhantom and Australia?

If you love a good political thriller, filled with action, wonderful characters and a great plot then this is the one to pick up a great addition to this series and there is another one to come, I did thoroughly enjoy this one as I am sure you will as well.

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

4 stars

December 10, 2024

Her Buried Bones

 Her Buried Bones

Opal Fields #

Fiona Tarr

Reviewed by Helen

This was my first Fiona Tarr book but it won’t be the last I am looking forward to many more and luckily I have some to catch up one, Constable Jenny Williams has requested a transfer to Cooper Pedy she wants answers to a family mystery, her missing aunt and cousin and the last place they were known to be is Cooper Pedy, will she get her answers?

The heat is the first thing that rocks Jenny when she arrives and the red dust, her first impressions when arriving at the police station is that she is going to find it tough to break through the ways of the station run by men, she decides to keep her reasons for being here to herself for a while and when the remains of a body are found in the bottom of a mine shaft soon Jenny throws herself into the investigation, it appears to be a murder and Jenny is arguing already with her new boss.

They all soon learn that Jenny will not give up on what she believes and with the help of the forensic scientist Penny they are building a case and when the cop she replaced arrives in town Jenny will do whatever it takes to revel the killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this crime mystery, I loved Jenny and her determination to get the answers and the way she stood up to her boss, will she get more answers about her aunt and cousin I look forward to more in this series to get the answer. There are some fabulous characters in this one and MS Tarr has describes Cooper Pedy so well I almost felt the heat. I do highly recommend this one to any reader who loves a good mystery.

4 stars

March 3, 2023

Endgame

 Endgame

Lexi Winter #4

Sarah Barrie

Reviewed by Helen

WOW this one had my heart in my throat so many time, I have been eagerly awaiting this one and chose a time to read it knowing I wouldn’t be interrupted because I knew once I picked it up I wouldn’t be able to put it down and that is what happened, Lexi has come a long way since book one in this awesome series she is part of the taskforce enabled to catch her arch nemesis, pedophile and murderer Damon Vaughn, when he contacts her and wants to play a game with her, a very dangerous game but as we know Lexi there is no way she will not play with the end being to finally catch him before he gets her.

Set on the Central Coast of NSW the team are together doing all they can to find him, there have been some murders already in this dangerous game and Lexi, Finn and Rachael and the team are doing all they can to stop them before he gets to the end of the game but there are some teenagers causing havoc as well using some sort of drug that has them hallucinating and there have been deaths amongst this group as well, could it be linked to Vaughn, Lexi is not sure but she must also do what she can to save these kids and the drug squad is called in as well.

Vaughn has pulled the media in and painted Lexi as a bad cop as well as the team there is a big divide of followers supporting Vaughn and hating Lexi this all adds to the danger but Lexi will never give up and the days are running out to finish this game and finally have Vaughn were he should be, the bodies are mounting up and Lexi has never felt this bad before, caring Cait adds pressure to the situation, how will this all turn out, will they get Vaughn or will he get Lexi?

This is the final book in this series and the ending was perfect each book in the series just gets better and this one rocks I absolutely loved it from start to finish I love the characters that I have come to know throughout the series, I have cheered them on and sat on the edge of my seat with fingers crossed that everything turns out OK, MS Barrie is a brilliant author who brings her characters to life on the pages and pulls her readers into the story and as always I look forward to what is to come next and maybe we will see Lexi again.

Thank you MS Barrie for another awesome story, one that I highly recommend, this series is a must read for any reader who loves a good crime thriller.

My thanks to HQ Fiction and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

November 1, 2024 by HQ Fiction

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