Ice Lake @johnlenahan @KillerReads #BlogTour

About Ice Lake

…WHERE EVERYBODY LIES. AND SOME PEOPLE KILL…

An electrifying debut crime novel and the first in a new series featuring psychologist Harry Cull. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Peter May.

AN ABANDONDED BODY
Deep in the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the body of a man is found – shot three times, dumped under the trees where the local kids will find him.

A HAUNTED PSYCHOLOGIST
Psychologist Harry Cull, tormented by his past, arrives in the picturesque town of Ice Lake to help with the murder investigation. There he unravels a web of lies and deceit that leads to the dark heart of a community torn apart by fracking, drugs and murder.

A DESPERATE KILLER
It’s not long before the second corpse turns up, this time a lawyer left for dead in the forest, and Harry finds himself on the trail of a twisted killer – who will do anything to keep the town’s darkest secrets buried.

My review of Ice Lake

I absolutely loved this book! I had no idea of what to expect when I opened the first page of Ice Lake. Would it be a grizzly crime thriller? Would it feature a handsome and witty male protagonist? Would it be an exciting and enjoyable read that offered a completely different take on the crime genre of today? The answer to all these questions is yes, and so much more.

Harry Cull is invited to Ice Lake, situated in Northeastern Pennsylvania, by his friend , State Trooper Eric Cirba. A body was found in the woods, and it is up to the local police and Harry to find out who the murderer is. And all I will say is that this realty is one twisted killer.

As soon as I started to read Ice Lake, I knew that I would love it, and this was partly responsible to the strong and likeable character of Harry Cull. It only took me a few pages to fully realise his character and that the two of us would soon become friends. He's that type of guy, you can't help but like him. Throughout the course of the book we learn more about him, his past and why he does what he does. It's not just Harry who fascinated me, but all of the characters were interesting in their own way, even Todd who runs the local 'store'. I gradually warmed to him over the book.  Another character who I loved was that of MK, Harry's neighbour, a nurse and a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind and do her own thing.

This book is packed full of  dark humour, and this works refreshingly well, given the dark subject matter. This kind of humour is right up my street. It doesn't make light of what is happening, but rather helps to give balance and a time to reflect upon what has happened. I found Harry to be a very funny guy, as were most of the inhabitants, albeit it in a subtle sarcastic way.

Ice Lake deals with some serious issues, those of drugs, fracking and dangerous lies, but all issues are there at the heart of the story, they are part of it, part of who the characters are and the story helps to explain what it is like to live in modern Northeastern Pennsylvania, in a remote area. I have no idea what this life must be like, but the descriptions of the environment and the people living there, helped me to feel as if I was living there, breathing the smell of the woods and drinking coffee in Todd's.

Ice Lake was such an enjoyable read. I am so very happy that this book is the start of a new series, as I want to learn more about Harry... and 'that's no lie'...

With thanks to Killer Reads for the advanced manuscript copy

Ice Lake is published by Killer Reads an imprint of Harper Collins on 7 July 2017. It is available from Amazon here.

About the author

John Lenahan is a popular TV magician who toured with Jack Dee, Lenny Henry and Victoria Wood. He starred on a prime time BBC1 TV show, had his own BBC2 series, and was the voice of the toaster in ‘Red Dwarf’. His fantasy trilogy Shadowmagic, an award-winning podcast that received over 100,000 downloads, was published by HarperCollins and sold over 70,000 copies across all editions. Ice Lake is his debut crime novel, the first in a new series featuring psychologist Harry Cull.

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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman #bookreview

About Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

 

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

 

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

 

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

 

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?

My review of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a book, that once read, is never forgotten. This book really touched me, it is about the kindness of strangers, the fact that life is for living and that we are all equal and deserving of love. At first glance you might be fooled into thinking that this is a kind of light, romantic read about a slightly quirky female in her early thirties, but you would be wrong. This book has incredibly deep roots. It makes you question what life is all about and our relationship with others. I loved this deeply dark and bittersweet tale.

When we first meet Eleanor, she is living her life to a strict structure doing the same things, day in, day out. Her social skills are somewhat lacking, and I did wonder if she had Asperger's syndrome, doe to her routines, lack of social awareness, special interests and difficulty with communicating with others. But as the book progressed as I was not sure if this was the case. I began to think that Eleanor had built a kind of self inflicted prison around herself, due to her upbringing and past circumstances. In essence she had chosen to isolate herself, believing that she was not worthy of love or even friendship.

On paper this novel should read as a sad and slightly quirky story. A woman who eats alone, has no friends and who drinks a couple of bottles of vodka every weekend. But surprisingly this book is incredibly upbeat, inspiring and full of hope. This is due to a few factors. For starters the dialogue is fast, sharp and witty, and I found Eleanor hilarious. This is a woman who says things as she finds them, there is no filter (another reason I thought she might be on the autistic spectrum) and I loved this about her. You get the unvarnished truth from  her. This is one of the reasons that Eleanor does not have many friends, as she seems different, unapproachable, her colleagues do not know what to make of her. But, for me, her dialogue and ways of seeing the world were completely refreshing and I loved this aspect of her character.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is also rooted in normality. I loved the array of characters that Eleanor meets, the new IT guy at the office, Raymond, who becomes a friend, and the various other characters that she meets because of the 'one act of kindness' that changes everything. For me the interaction between her and Raymond is charming and poignant. Their dialogue is natural, almost raw, and I found myself willing their next interaction to see how their friendship would blossom.

This book is a dark, and at times, disturbing read. It does deal with some fairly serious issues including abuse and depression. But all of these issues are not in the novel to sensationalise, but rather to add depth and understanding to the characters, they are integral to the story, they are a part of Eleanor. But as I have already said, these issue for me did not dampen the fact that this book is incredibly uplifting and hopeful. It gave me the feeling that thee is good out there, and that there is a special someone for everyone.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a fresh, original and inspiring book about a woman who is afraid of change and who is chained to her past. But, with the help of others and by being brave, Eleanor learns that life is more than being 'fine'.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is published by HarperCollins on 18 May 2017. It can be found d on Amazon here.

The Second Sister by Claire Kendal #bookreview

The chilling new psychological thriller from the author of the top ten bestseller, THE BOOK OF YOU, which was selected for Richard and Judy in 2015. Perfect for fans of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and DISCLAIMER.

It is ten years since Ella's sister Miranda disappeared without trace, leaving her young baby behind. Chilling new evidence links Miranda to the horrifying Jason Thorne, now in prison for murdering several women. Is it possible that Miranda knew him?

At thirty, Miranda’s age when she vanished, Ella looks uncannily like the sister she idolized. What holds Ella together is her love for her sister’s child and her work as a self-defence expert helping victims.

Haunted by the possibility that Thorne took Miranda, and driven by her nephew’s longing to know about his mother, Ella will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth – no matter how dangerous…

My review of The Second Sister

I was so very excited when I found out that Claire Kendal had a new book due out, as I had read The Book Of You many years ago and absolutely loved it. The good news is that I loved this book just as much. The Second Sister is a powerful and emotive read about the bond of sisters and the bonds of family.

The book is narrated by Ella, whose sister, Miranda, disappeared ten years ago, leaving a baby boy behind. Ella is now thirty, the same age that Miranda was when she went missing. The family have no answers and are effectively left in limbo as the police have no leads on where she went or what happened to her. The only suspicion that they had, was that Thorne, a serial murderer of women who is now locked up, could have taken her - but their investigation has led them to no answers.

Throughout the book we follow Ella on her journey to find out what happened to her sister. I really liked the fact that Ella speaks to her sister throughout the book, she is addressing her, not the reader, and although this seemed a little strange at first, I soon become used to it and understood why Ella spoke to her sister in this way. It was so very important that she did so, as it brought Miranda to life as well as highlighting the strong relationship that they had. I really liked Ella, a strong woman, a kickboxer, strong wiled and who wanted to protect all women. She is maternal, in her instincts to protect her sister's son, Luke, she was very much a mother figure to him.

The Second Sister really is about the strength of women, Many women in this novel have been victims of violent crime, perpetrated by men. Ella runs a charitable support group for such women, and provides practical help as well as emotional support. Her job is much more than a job, it is a vocation, and one in which she sees redemption for not being able to save her sister.

I have to admit that my most favourite character in the book was that of Ted. Ella's friend since their first day at school,  and on/off boyfriend. He really intrigued me, and throughout the book I really grew to love him and his fierce protectiveness of Ella. He had his faults, but I was able to forgive him as he was such a likeable character.

This book contains so many false leads, that I thought I knew who was responsible for Miranda's disappearance  serval times throughout the novel. The ending truly shocked me, and although slightly unbelievable, was enjoyable to read. The Second Sister is a fast paced and emotional read, about the bond that sisters shadre, no matter what happens to them.

The Second Sister is published by Harper Collins on 4 May 2017. You can buy a copy on Amazon here.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy.

About the author

Claire Kendal was born in America and educated in England, where she has spent all of her adult life. Her first novel, THE BOOK OF YOU, was a Richard and Judy title and SUNDAY TIMES top ten bestseller. It has been translated into over twenty languages. Claire teaches English Literature and Creative Writing, and lives in the South West with her family. THE SECOND SISTER is her second novel.

Let the Dead Speak by Jane Casey

About Let the Dead Speak

In the chilling new crime novel from award-winning author Jane Casey, Detective Maeve Kerrigan and the murder squad must navigate a web of lies to discover the truth…

A murder without a body
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home one day to find the house covered in blood and Kate, her mother, gone. There may not be a body, but everything else points to murder.

A girl too scared to talk
Maeve Kerrigan is young, ambitious and determined to prove she’s up to her new role as detective sergeant. She suspects Chloe is holding something back, but best friend Bethany Norris won’t let Maeve get close. What exactly is Bethany protecting Chloe from?
A detective with everything to prove
As the team dig deeper into the residents of Valerian Road, no one is above suspicion. All Maeve needs is one person to talk, but that’s not going to happen. Because even in a case of murder, some secrets are too terrible to share…

My review of Let the Dead Speak

This is the first Jane Casey book that I have ever read, so I am new to the world of Detective Maeve Kerrigan. I absolutely loved this book, and so shall be rooting out the previous books in the series to read during the summer.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the interesting premise that a murder had taken place, but that there was no body at the crime scene. I wanted to find out how the police solved this puzzle.

So, eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns home early from having been away, visiting her father, to find the home that she shares with her mother, Kate, covered in blood., and her mother missing, presumed dead. It is from this point onwards that we follow the police in their investigation to find out exactly what happened.

The plot is completely believable and I found out the events that took place, during the many twists and turns, at the same time as the police. I liked this aspect. In that  there was a logical progression to the events that took place, which were slowly revealed, layer by layer, to me, the reader.

What really made this book stand out for me though was the two leading characters of Maeve and DI Josh Derwent. There on page chemistry simmered and I wondered why on earth they weren't together. However, as this is the first book that I have read in the series, I knew nothing of their past relationship,  although we are told that they have never been involved in a romantic relationship. To me, it was fairly obvious that they belong together, and I have my fingers and toes crossed that this will happen in future novels.

This is a thoroughly entertaining read! It is fairly dark in nature, with serious issues being discussed regarding the sexuality of women, the sexualisation of women by men and issues of consent. But what was we do have is an incredibly strong female lead in the form of Maeve, whom you can't help but love and admire. Here is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and who would do anything to protect the innocent. She is hugely likeable and someone whom I admire.

 

Let the Dead Speak is a dark, griping and enjoyable detective story that is full of twists. This fabulous plot is further enhanced by completely relatable characters and a cast of male suspects, none of whom I liked, and that was the way it should be. I literally had no idea of who had done what or why, and I was left guessing until the very end. I enjoyed this book immensely and look forward to reading the next in the series.

 

Let the Dead Speak, published on March 9 by Harper Collins, is available to buy from Amazon here.

About the author

"All my criminal elements have some basis in reality, no matter how awful they may be. Nothing is completely farfetched." Jane Casey

Crime is a family affair for Jane Casey. Married to a criminal barrister, she has a unique insight into the brutal underbelly of urban life, from the smell of a police cell to the darkest motives of a serial killer.

This gritty realism has made her books international bestsellers and critical successes; while Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has quickly become one of the most popular characters in crime fiction.

Winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for The Stranger You Know, Jane has been shortlisted four times for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award and longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award.