Nicki's book blog

  Prisoner-Ross Greenwood- Crime Jim Dalton is a prison warder and has pretty much seen it all in his time. We are taken through the daily routines and the type of things that can and do happen. Ross did this job and I admire him very much for putting this on paper and for being a prison warden, not an easy job for anyone from the sounds of things. Very much the unsung heroes. Although fiction there is much based on fact and the authenticity of the daily routines. I found this fascinating and very interesting. I’ve been in a prison - for professional reasons I hasten to add (!!) and this puts the whole thing in perspective which I feel would work for anyone. There's the gritty realness of the twilight alternative world that is jail. Jim normally works on the men's side which is where things kick off more regularly than the womens but as a relative is in there he is transferred to the women’s side for a while. He has his own problems at home. His wife doesnt work- she lo...

  Her last Holiday- C.L Taylor- Psychological thriller                "You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die“  One to play with your head and spin you around- perfect! Fran is on a retreat  at her mothers behest. The man running itTom Wade was let out of prison 9  months ago having been convicted of two deaths on one of his retreats in Gozo.  At the same time Fran’s sister Jenna went missing, presumed dead. Fran has  gone under an assumed name and her mother has insisted that the only way to  get to truth is to confront Tom and see his reaction when Jenna is mentioned.  On the first night there Fran receives a note addressed to her real name  informing her that Jenna didnt commit suicide as the police thought but  was murdered. Someone knows her real identity and more about Jenna. This draws you in and keeps you there. A mystery as well as a thriller.  That air of ...

  Every little breath- Keri Beevis psychological thriller OMG! Sit down and hold on to your seat! Casey was on her way to her boyfriend Gareth’s house to call it all off. When she couldn't find him at home she went to the house next doors that he and his father Steve were doing up. What she found changed her life. Thirteen years later she has moved away and made a new start, one of her jobs being a DJ for a local radio station having the late night slot. When she gets strange messages and she is sure that someone has been into her apartment she is rather unnerved. The DC whom she met on the original case she has discovered, coincidentally, lives downstairs and Finn is keen to protect Casey. Someone is out for revenge against Casey as if they blame her for being the witness years ago. Why and who when things were so clearly wrong and justice was served? Oh where to begin? (In a very good way) I liked both Casey and Finn who both had well rounded characters. There is a definite a...

  Murder On TIme- Roger Silverwood- Crime- A new author to me and a very enjoyable read. Detective Inspector Michael Angel has his hands full when a woman comes to the station saying her husband has threatened to kill her and a local known criminal is at the heart of some intenses heat. The woman is married to a well known producer who lost his first wife to heart failure. He is about to go away to Ireland and she is terrified that on his return she will meet her demise. However not fearful enough that she can leave her TV career behind and go into hiding. There's a muder or two, a breakout of a prisoner, a kidnap and much more in this easy to read, comfortable book with characters you can easily take to. Angel is a good old fashioned detective, married to his job but has the love of his life at home and when Mary becomes involved he begins to see red. A wonderful, easy read with a smile along the way. (Although number 27 in the series- this happily stand alone- I hadn'...

  I AM HERE TO KILL YOU by Chris Westlake -psychological thriller A small welsh village has a new arrival, Sheena, only that's not her true identity. She arrived due to something a friend pointed out about the town. There is a women's group which she joins led by Rose for anyone wanting to air their problems. Bernard is happily married for the second time to a Thai bride Apinya. He used to employ Rose and so knows her well, so when she feels out of sorts she turns to him for advice when she leaves the group for a while. Meanwhile Sheena and Kat have taken over and the group dynamics take rather a shift. when everyone seems to be against each other and there is a murder, what on earth has happened and why?. I enjoyed this, it takes a little getting into to get to know each character and where they are coming from in the plot. Each chapter is headed with a character and timeline and its worth bearing with as it soon becomes clear. A complicated web of plots, lies and deceit ...

  Mirrorland- Carole Johnstone-psychological thriller One to keep you within the pages whilst spinning your mind right around. El and Cat are identical twin sisters. Cat moved to the USA many years ago when they grew apart. Now she has returned to Scotland as El is listed as missing. She took a boat out and hasn't been seen since. Her husband Ross was away at the time. Coming back to their old house dredges up memories of their childhood. they have always said that they were mirror images of each other- alike to look at but otherwise complete opposites. There is no sight of El or the boat and Cat firmly believes that she is still alive. Cat begins getting messages which relate to treasure hunts she and El did as children in Mirrorland- a part of the old house and they kept diaries of their adventures. We are taken back through Cat finding clues and from the diary entries which have been left for her to find. This is a very well described book that draws you in with a palpab...

Knife Edge by Kerry Buchanan- Crime Nic has been kidnapped for 5 days. She was at a nightclub with some friends and Colm and the two of them somehow got taken and are now in a derelict house- she remembers nothing of how they were taken at all. She has various cuts all over her body that her captor does daily. She manages to escape and finds her way to a main road. When the police become involved it's clear that this isn't the first time that this has happened and she finds that DI Ram has a vested interest. When Nic’s sister Hazel becomes under threat Nic wants to help the police all she can but also in her own way. Who is after her and why? I took to this very quickly and found myself engrossed within the pages. Nic is a likeable character and although does some perhaps irrational things at times perhaps due to youth and inexperience, her heart is in the right place. A thriller with lots of twists and turns and just when you think someone is safe… I won’t spoil anythin...

  B eyond This Broken Sky by Siobhan Curham historical fiction (WW2) Set in two time lines from 1940 and 2019 onwards this tells the story of two women. Ruby is in 1940 and has had a privileged upbringing never having had to work. With war upon the country there is a need for help and she and Joseph- someone who lives in the same house which is divided up into flats) volunteer as ambulance drivers. Joseph is a conscientious objector but feels helping the injured is a step forward. Ruby has been able to drive for many years but come the ambulance test she is given a massive lorry to drive. 2019 and Edi has moved into the top floor flat of her new home having left her husband at long last. She bumps into Pearl who lives downstairs and Pearl tells her that she is an author. Curiosity gets the better of Edi and orders one of Pearls books which is about three friends who share a house but there is murderous intent along the way. When Edi accidentally finds a hidden army shirt ...