Tropical Girl Reads

Title:- The Blood Tide

Author:- Neil Lancaster

Date published:- will be published on 23rd February 2022

Publisher:- HQ

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

‘Think Jack Reacher fronting Line of Duty’ Ian Rankin

You get away with murder.
In a remote sea loch on the west coast of Scotland, a fisherman vanishes without trace. His remains are never found.
 
You make people disappear.
A young man jumps from a bridge in Glasgow and falls to his death in the water below. DS Max Craigie uncovers evidence that links both victims. But if he can’t find out what cost them their lives, it won’t be long before more bodies turn up at the morgue…
 
You come back for revenge.
Soon cracks start to appear in the investigation, and Max’s past hurtles back to haunt him. When his loved ones are threatened, he faces a terrifying choice: let the only man he ever feared walk free, or watch his closest friend die…

When reading this book, I thought I was watching an action packed thriller that is keeping me at the edge of my seat!

In a remote place, a fisherman disappears without trace. Then a man jumps out of the bridge to his death and soon, the police find clues that link the two cases together.

This is the second book of the DS Mac Craigie series although I haven’t read the first book of the series yet. Though it was slightly confusing initially, gradually, I was hooked into the story from the start to the finish! The writing was good and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are in this adventure with Max and Janie and Ross! In fact, I can’t wait for the third book of the series to come out soon!

Overall, this is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Neil was born in Liverpool but grew up in Kent, leaving aged seventeen where he served for six years in the Military Police with the RAF. He left the Metropolitan Police in 2015 where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.

Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.

Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he now writes crime thriller books,

Title:- The Body on the Moor

Author:- Rebecca Griffiths

No. of pages:- 361 pages

Date published:- will be published on 24th February 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

A totally gripping mystery thriller inspired by a true story: an innocent young girl holds the key to unlocking a long-buried crime. Perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Catherine Ryan Howard and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. Pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching and unforgettable.

Manchester, England 1965: Little Kathy Openshaw is waiting in the car with only her toy doll for company. Whilst her mother Connie visits close friends Myra and Ian, Kathy gazes out at the surrounding moorland and dreams of a happier life.

But when Connie returns to the car, Kathy has vanished. Instantly she thinks of the news reports of the children who have gone missing from the area. Parents everywhere are worried sick. Connie is struck with terror: what kind of mother leaves their child alone when a kidnapper is on the loose?

Black Fell Farm, Saddleworth Moor: no one has visited Ronald’s farm in decades. But when a young couple start acting suspiciously on his land and a mysterious visitor arrives on his doorstep, Ronald feels instantly threatened. He doesn’t want any unwanted attention directed towards his farm.

For on the wild and desolate moorland, Ronald has buried his own dark crime for years and if his secret is ever exposed, it will be more than just his life at stake…

Completely addictive and inspired by the true crime story of the Moors murders, this stunning mystery will keep you reading long into the night.

The title and the plot was intriguing to me and so I requested this book through the Netgalley.

The story is set during the 1965 when Kathy Oppenshaw was in the car playing with the doll while her mother Connie was visiting friends. When she returned back to the car, her daughter, Kathy is missing. Connie had heard of the kidnapping of young children in the area and blames herself for leaving her daughter behind. Meanwhile, Ronald returns back to the moorland where a couple start acting suspiciously. Ronald do not want anyone to be near the moor as he had buried the secret many years ago.

This was a good thriller though not very fast paced and not much of twists and turns you would usually expect in a thriller. However, I do like the 1965 setting, slightly different from the normal thrillers that I usually based which is based on the present day. But anyway, it was enjoyable, the author’s writing style was good and the ending was really good.

Overall, this is a good thriller and worth three stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in west-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland, she returned to rural west-Wales where she now lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their four black cats and two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full-time.

Title:- #FollowMe for Murder

Author:- Sarah E Burr

Date published:- will be published on 15th February

No. of pages:- 300

Genre:- Mystery

Rating:- 3/5 stars

Murder is about to go viral for social media influencer Coco Cline.

After selling a tech startup to Facebook in a multi-million-dollar deal, blogger Coco Cline has returned to her hometown of Central Shores, Delaware to launch her own social media consulting firm. Her new clients, Sean and Olivia Chen, are ten days away from the grand opening of their specialty consignment shop when Coco stumbles across their assistant Stacy dead behind the register.

Worried that a cloud of suspicion will ruin their chances of a successful business launch, the Chens ask Coco to work alongside the inexperienced Central Shores police to speed up the investigation. Using her celebrity status and social media savviness, Coco realizes Stacy’s seemingly ordinary life was all an act. Following a trail of cryptic online posts, confusing timelines, and muddied gossip, Coco and her friends discover Stacy’s questionable relationships just might be the reason for her untimely demise.

I thought the cover looked cute and that it was another one of those series of cozy mystery series. This is the first book of the Trending Topic Mysteries.

A famous blogger, Coco Cline returns back to her hometown, in Central Shore to start up her own social media consulting firm. One of her clients is Sean and Olivia Chen who are going to be celebrating a grand opening of their store–but when Coco stumbles into the store, she comes across the dead body of their assistant, Stacy. Using her influence, Coco sets about finding the killer only to find this innocent assistant doesn’t seem to be that innocent at all…

This book to me was OK–not really good, but it wasn’t that bad either. Some parts of the story was boring, and I thought this sounds a bit like spoilt kids, kind of like I am watching Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars in the book. The characters particularly the main one didn’t really warm up to me and the story was in Coco’s perspective. However, towards the middle of the book, the story got teeny weeny interesting. The ending was predictable and expected. Not much twists and turns, not fast paced either.

This is an OK thriller but if you are into books about bloggers as a main character, then this one is for you–worth three stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl.

There’s always murder and mystery in the works for Sarah. #FOLLOWME FOR MURDER, first in the Trending Topic Mysteries, shines the spotlight on a social media PR expert after she discovers a dead body in her clients’ store, forcing her to untangle a web of secrets in her small, beachside town. This title arrives on February 22, 2022, from Level Best Books.

Sarah is the author of the new paranormal cozy mystery YOU CAN’T CANDLE THE TRUTH, first in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. Readers are introduced to candle shop owner Hazel Wickbury. Hazel has a secret. She knows when someone is going to die. This power, known as a “whim,” helps Hazel uncover a murder in her small, storied town. Together with her aunt, Hazel aims to shine a light on the killer before they snuff her out.

INNOCENCE IMPRISONED is the latest adventure in the Court of Mystery series, featuring her fearless heroine, Duchess Jacqueline Xavier, first introduced in “The Ducal Detective Mysteries.”

When she’s not spinning up new stories, Sarah is off seeing Broadway musicals, reading up a storm, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee. She is represented by Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Visit her website at http://www.saraheburr.com. Stay connected with Sarah and receive free stories, be the first to learn about book news, book deals, and more by signing up for her

Title:- The Invite

Author:- Sheryl Browne

No. of pages:- 331 pages

Date published:- will be published onFebruary 22nd 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

The invites went out weeks ago, and tonightt a lavish manor house surrounded by friends and family, Kaitlin couldn’t be happier. But as the champagne corks pop, her dream party becomes her worst nightmare…

Staring at the stunning diamond solitaire on her finger, Kaitlin is finally getting the chance to introduce her best friend Zoe to her perfect fiancé. She hasn’t known Greg long, but he looks after her, and he loves playing dad to her young daughter. How could she say no when he’s already planned their elopement?

As guests arrive, why is Greg acting so shifty? And is that a flicker of recognition on Zoe’s face? And why does she look terrified every time her phone rings?

Kaitlin watches as Zoe knocks back her white wine and makes a beeline for Greg. After a heated conversation, Zoe stumbles towards the door and flees the party without looking back.

Days later, the police knock at Kaitlin’s door – Zoe is missing.

Kaitlin wants to believe her loving fiancé is not to blame, but she knows what she saw the night of the party. And when he lies to the police, can she trust the man she’s marrying? Could Kaitlin and her precious daughter’s life now be in danger too?

I made up my mind to read all Sheryl Browne’s books and so excited when I received the ARC copy of the book.

Kaitlin is engaged to Gregory Walker and have a party. She has invited her best friend, Zoe who is living in Portugal. Zoe meanwhile had an affair with a man named Daniel who turned out to be a married man. She then comes to England to attend her friend’s party. But at the party, Gregory looked shifty and Zoe asked Kaitlin and warns about Gregory. Kaitlin and Zoe had a fight which resulted in Zoe leaving the party. But on the next day, the police come knocking on the door–Zoe has gone missing. Is her fiance responsible for her disappearance?

This had multiple characters and multiple plotlines so initially it was slightly confusing. However, it wasn’t until the end that you find that there’s some sort of connection between the characters and the plots of the story. Despite multiple characters, I found the story fast paced, with some twists and turns, with multiple suspects that may have a role in Zoe’s disapperance. Initially, you are left slightly confused but towards the middle, the story starts building and gradually, there is a drama towards the end. The ending was slightly unexpected. Nonetheless, this was unputdownable and I actually stayed up all night reading the book.

Kaitlin is a complex character who was in an abusive relationship before and so it makes perfectly sense why she seemed to be fidgety. Her friendship with Zoe was briefly outlined although the author gives us a sense that they are really good friends.

Overall, this was an enjoyable thriller that you wouldn’t want to put down–if you like drama in a thriller, then this book is one for you–worth four stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. Sheryl’s latest book to be published with fabulous BOOKOUTURE is THE INVITE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, she also has short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath.

Sheryl lives in Worcestershire UK with her husband and her rescue dogs, Brie and Pablo.

To find out more about Sheryl’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ or follow @SherylBrowne on Twitter. To find out more about Sheryl, go to http://www.sherylbrowne.com

Title:- Five Days Missing

Author:- Caroline Corcoran

Publisher:- Avon

Date published:- will be published on February 17th 2022

No. of pages:- 360 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

Having a baby is all about firsts. The first touch. The first kiss. The first cuddle. They mark a lifetime of firsts – including the first goodbye.

When Romilly says goodbye to her new baby daughter, abandoning her at the hospital hours after giving birth, no one can understand why she would leave – and where she has gone.

In those first few hours she had been the image of a doting mother and would have done anything to protect her baby.
Something has clearly gone wrong. Could it be that Romilly is suffering from postpartum psychosis, just as her mother did?

Or is something even worse at hand? A danger so grave that she would leave her longed-for daughter to escape it…

A twisty, emotional tale of dark pasts and even darker secrets – perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Heidi Perks.

OK, I found the plot of the story really interesting. A woman, who after giving birth, leaves behind the baby and goes missing. The husband, Marc, the best friend and Romilly’s family members are worried about her. The story tells in a span of five days and what happened afterwards.

I do like the plot of the story, but I found the first part of the story slightly boring. The tension in the story starts developing in the middle of the book and soon, it actually piqued my interest in the book. The writing was good but then I didn’t find much of twists and turns you would normally expect in a thriller. The story is told from the perspectives of The Husband, Marc, The Best friend and finally the Woman, who is Romilly herself. So as a reader, it was interesting to get into the heads of these characters and see what each of the characters think. Then as a reader, you doubt if the woman, Romilly just ran away because she is suffering from depression or running away from her own husband.

Overall, this is an OK thriller–not much twists and turns, not a fast paced thriller but it was good. Worth 3 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Caroline Corcoran is an author whose first novel, Through The Wall, came out in October 2019. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller and translated into numerous foreign languages.

Her second book, The Baby Group, was released in September 2020.

As well as writing books, Caroline is a freelance lifestyle and popular culture journalist who has written and edited for most of the top magazines, newspapers and websites in the UK.

Title:- The Marriage Secret

Author:- Carey Baldwin

No. of pages:- 309 pages

Date published:- will be published on 11th February 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

He married me despite my darkest secret. But am I safe now that I know his?

From the outside, my marriage to Zach was perfect: dream home, a perfect baby girl and passionate, all-consuming love. When we met, I confessed my darkest secret to him and he never judged me for it. Instead, he vowed to always protect me whatever the cost.

But as I cradle my gorgeous baby, I have to accept that the husband who used to be my everything, has changed. At first it was little things: expecting me to keep to a strict schedule, picking out my clothes for me. Now, he controls every aspect of my life: from how much money I have, to when I leave the house and who I can see.

One fateful night, a young woman is found murdered and Zach is a potential suspect. Turning towards me, a look of warmth returning to his eyes, he swears he’s innocent, and I realize there is only one solution. If I agree to be his alibi, he will keep my secret and our daughter can grow up in a loving home. In that moment, I do what any faithful wife would do: I stand by him.

But I know deep down, only one of us will make it out of this marriage alive.

Content Warning:- Domestic abuse, murder, substance abuse

OK….I only have one word to describe this book…it’s simply just WOW….

How well do you know your spouse? Holly and Zach fell in love, got married and now Holly is pregnant with their first child. But after Holly gives birth to a baby girl named Jolene, Zach started changing. He starts almost controlling Holly’s life and threatening to reveal one of Holly’s dark secrets if Holly ever leaves him. Later on, the police come knocking on the door, questioning Zach about the disappearance of two girls, Beth and Claudia, who had affairs with Zach.

Now, this book is a fast paced thriller and I love reading fast paced thrillers. Holly is a complex character and as a reader, you feel what is the secret that Holly is afraid of revealing. The plot is really good, the writing was intense as the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. Holly is going through something like a “silent” domestic abuse what with Zach controlling her, deeming her to be unfit of becoming a parent. We see Zach’s love affair with Claudia and soon towards the middle, the story starts reaching its climax, with twists and turns that were completely unexpected! The ending…oh my god…the ending took my breath away–this was such an unexpected twist that the author had given and I couldn’t literally believe that ending at all!!! It was such a complete unexpected twist in the end! I couldn’t even put this book down and stayed up all night reading this book!

Overall, if you are into fast paced thriller, with a little bit of drama here and there, with so many twists and turns with an unexpected ending, I strongly recommend this book to you–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

By day Carey is a dedicated pediatrician. By night she’s a USA Today bestselling and award winning author of edgy suspense. In addition to her MD, Carey also holds a PhD in clinical psychology. She loves reading and writing stories that keep you off balance and on the edge of your seat. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and chasing wildflowers.

Title:- The Midnight Killing

Author:- Sharon Dempsey

No. of pages:- 378 pages

Date published:- will be published on 17th February 2022

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:- 4/5 stars

She’d cycled this way hundreds of times before, every twist and turn familiar. She didn’t know this would be the last. 

When the body of local architect James McCallum is found hanging in the grounds of his former school one cold, dark night, DI Danny Stowe and forensic psychologist Rose Lainey suspect foul play behind his apparent suicide.

To their astonishment, the trail leads to a 20-year-old cold case of a missing girl, and a teenage party. But what was James’ fascination with the case and how is it linked to his death?

Secrets don’t stay buried forever – but the real killer will stop at nothing to hide theirs…

An absolutely gripping and totally unputdownable crime thriller that will keep you up all night! Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Val McDermid and Rachel Caine.  

I didn’t know this is actually a sequel but nonetheless I got this ARC from the publisher.

When the body of a man named James McCallum was found, it was ruled as suicide. However, after the autopsy results, it was later found that James was indeed strangled to death and that it was actually a murder. Furthermore, when they investigated James’ laptop, they find James obsession with a girl named Maeve Lunn, an eight year old girl who disappeared more than twenty years ago. The police must find clues about the connection between this cold case and James murder and must find the killer before it’s too late.

Initially, the story was a little boring at first–it started off slightly boring. But gradually, it became fast paced towards the middle of the book, with the discovery of the case of the eight year old girl and the fact that James and his friends who were teenagers back then had been around during the time of the girl’s disappearance. From the middle of the book, it got interesting and I was literally hooked into the book. I didn’t read the first book of the series so I was a bit confused on the parts about Rose Linley’s background that I simply skimmed through those parts.

Overall, this was actually a good thriller–worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Title:- Put Out To Pasture

Author:- Amanda Flower

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Date published:- will be published on 22nd February 2022

Publisher:- Poisoned Pen Press

Genre:- Cozy Mysteries

Rating:-

There’s fowl play afoot on the farm

Shiloh Bellamy has saved her family’s farm from financial ruin—but now what? She’s barely scraping by on the farm’s new organic business model and the fall festival she organized to drum up business comes to a screeching halt when the body of a prominent townswoman is discovered underneath a scarecrow in a nearby field. Worst of all, the evidence points to Shiloh’s childhood best friend, Kristy, as the prime suspect.

Between cooking up delicious treats made with her farm’s produce, convincing her cantankerous father to let her do things her own way, and dealing with a newcomer in town who could be serious competition for her customers, Shiloh doesn’t have time to wade into a murder investigation. But with a killer on the loose and suspicious activity circling closer and closer to Shiloh and the people she loves, she realizes there’s nothing to do but roll up her sleeves and get down to the dirty work of finding the killer and clearing Kristy’s name once and for all.

This book is perfect for cozy mystery readers and fans of Kate Carlisle, Denise Swanson, and Bree Baker!

This is the second book of the Farm to Table Mysteries series although this is the first time I am reading this series.

Shiloh Belamy is starting up her organic business farm when at a nearby field, a body of a woman is discovered. And the main suspect was her childhood friend Kristy who was last seen arguing with the woman. Shiloh sets to investigate the case–what with the killer on loose. She then finds a disturbing news about the dead woman’s past and is concerned that someone from the woman’s past had killed her and is living in the small town.

Despite the fact that I haven’t read the first book, I actually enjoyed this cozy thriller! Besides reading about the “murder”, I enjoyed reading about the life in the farm, making me feel like I was in the farm, the delicious meals prepared by Shiloh and of course the community in the small knitted town that made me feel like I was a part of the story as well! The author’s writing was good and did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. I do like the community setting in the story and I was actually curious a little bit about Shiloh’s past. I actually got interested with the part about Minnie (the woman who was murdered) reading about her scandalous past.

Overall I actually enjoyed reading the book–this was fast paced, interesting and quite a good cozy thriller and some parts about the food will make you hungry! Worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Amanda Flower is a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty-five mystery novels. Her novels have received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Romantic Times, and she had been featured in USA Today, First for Women, and Woman’s World. She currently writes for Penguin-Random House (Berkley), Kensington, Hallmark Publishing, Crooked Lane Books, and Sourcebooks. In addition to being a writer, she was a librarian for fifteen years. Today, Flower and her husband own a farm and recording studio, and they live in Northeast Ohio with their two adorable cats.