Nicki's book blog

  The Boyfriend by John Nicholl- psychological thriller/crime Oh wow! A book once started I didn't want to put down. DS Ray Lewis is disappointed. Mark Shady accused of rape has got off scott free, not for the first time. He has a reputation of wining and dining and impressing women and getting them under his control to do whatever he wants. Anna is the latest victim and is dreadfully upset. Lewis goes to see her and finds out more than was revealed in court. He later finds out that the daughter of his friend, also in the police, is currently dating Shady.  Lewis would like to put Shady in his place but knows he can't. He's an old school dependable copper not in the best of health and not doing much about it despite his DI Laura doing her best to tell him. Will Shady ever be brought to justice? OMG. I was hooked and gripped and every other adjective. This is superbly written and takes the reader right into the heart of the story. I really liked Ray, the sort of chap you wa...

  Cutting Ties by Andrew Barrett- crime (DS Regan Carter book three) Regan is recovering from her attack and the loss of her partner Gypsy. Her home is a crime scene so she has gone to live with her mother for a while- not her idea of heaven. Bradshaw, a known criminal, is plotting and scheming to a deadly end. When her ex husband leaves her more than a clue, Regan knows she has to finish this, one way or another.  Andy’s books are always a fast paced gritty read and this one is a belter. It’s part of a series and is best read in order to understand the background. Regan is a strong no nonsense protagonist, determined to see justice even if she has to go to the wire where rules are concerned but being careful not to cross it. One of the strap lines is “ caught between a mother's betrayal and a killer's ambition” which sums this up perfectly- Regan is walking a tightrope but with her own vulnerabilities. A cleverly thought out, superb read where I couldn't turn the pages f...

  The Norfolk Theatre Murders by Judi Daykin- Crime A woman goes missing and is subsequently found dead under the stage of the theatre she worked at. Carole was popular and it appears no-one has a motive for murdering her, but someone must have and to put her hidden away begs the question why?. Her husband has dementia and tells the police that a monk turned up the night Carole died and trashed the house. Meanwhile there is a homeless tent village slowly being set up in the graveyard next to the theatre who may have seen more than they realise if only they would cooperate. Detective Sara Hirst is perplexed but someone, somewhere knows more.  Although one of a series (no7) this happily stands alone, I haven’t read all of the others- yet! It's a great story, very well written as ever by Judi and kept me wanting to turn the pages with lots of twists and turns, just how I like it. I liked Sara and her compassion whilst wanting to serve justice and also Nafisha doing her best for ...

  The Seven O'clock Club by Amelia Ireland - General Fiction  Four clients, four very different stories. Genevieve is a psychologist and is trying out a new therapy by having four carefully chosen people together in sessions who will hopefully help one another. Freya, Callum, Victoria and Mischa all have gone through bereavement in differing ways. Callum is a famous singer and appears to have a wonderful life, but he’s finding it empty and lonely. Mischa lost her mother to Alzheimer's, and blames herself for what happened. Victoria also lost her mother but as they were estranged she didn't feel anything until she read a letter her mother had left her. Freya had an idyllic childhood but being an adult isn't so great in her world.  This starts with each one trying to recall a happy childhood memory- something not everyone can do so easily and reminds us that everyone is different and we don’t always know what they are going through and the challenges some of us face. It...

  Death of a Wild Swimmer by Peter Boland -crime A man is found dead on the beach and the police think it's an accidental death- a swimmer who got into trouble and hit his head. The woman who leads the wild swimming club he was part of isn't convinced and asks the ladies of the charity shop detective agency to do some investigating. They don’t have to be asked twice! One of them decides to do some wild swimming herself, both to find out more and to see if it will help get rid of “it”, something she calls her depression.  This is the fifth book in this series and I’ve loved them all- they do happily stand alone. The prologue is clever, I won’t spoil it, it made me smile as do the ladies from the Dogs need nice homes charity shop. They are all figures the reader can easily imagine or maybe even know or have met at some time. They have hearts of gold and will do their very best to help. A wonderfully entertaining read that had me engrossed. Loved it. For more reviews please foll...

  I Kill Always Love You by Helen Golden-cozy mystery   Lady Bea, Richard, Perry, Daisy and others are taking a well earned break at a villa in Portugal. There are three villas on the complex which has good security however Bea having been hounded by the press all her life is cautious about who the neighbours are, as she doesn't want her location given away. It turns out they are high profile Hollywood-ites and only a daughter, an influencer, is likely to give anything away. They overhear an argument and when invited to a pool party they hear even more animosity towards the Hollywood director, who later is found dead in the pool. Bea wants to investigate as they have done in other such matters in the past, with Richards help (who was with PaiRs the royal protection service), but a DI is being sent over from the UK, and the team are dreading it will be the man they all can't abide. They have key information which the police don’t appear to be aware of which could save the maid...

  The Preacher by Stewart Giles - Crime A girl commits suicide in front of her friends at a college disco. One of the friends was DS Jason Smith’s daughter Lucy who is understandably traumatised. Her boyfriend heard the girl say something about a preacher. Smith thinks there is something more to this, but his boss thinks it is just a suicide. When there is another one, also with a smashed phone nearby, Smith knows his hunch is right, especially when there are links between them that can't be coincidence. Then another. Who is controlling these people and how/why? I adore it when I get one of Stewarts books as I know I'll get into the heart of things quickly with characters I love. Jason is one of those loveable rogues, who would do anything for you as long as you are on the right side of him- if not then look out! It's partly a dark story (but nothing to give nightmares)  and how messages can influence people to do horrible things, but with Jason’s care and (tasteful)wit thi...

  The Runaway Wives by Karen King- women’s fiction Dee is married to husband Nigel, a solicitor and thinks having seen an email, he is about to whisk her off for a surprise weekend away to celebrate her sixtieth birthday the following day. Her close friend Babs is thrilled for her, but not so thrilled when she arrives home to find her husband Geoff has put the house on the market as he wants to move to Spain- something she has already said she doesn't want to do. When Dee’s weekend turns out not to be for her but for her husband and his golfing friends, the two ladies decide to take themselves off to Cornwall for a few days to sort out their heads from their errant husbands who both appear to be having mid life crises. Can the ladies keep their marriages whilst keeping their sanity and what they want rather than just that of their husbands? I quickly got into this and really enjoyed it. Both Babs and Dee are relatable characters with a sense of purpose as well as a sense of fun. A ...