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Skin Deep by Liz Nugent

Skin Deep Liz NugentSkin Deep is one of those books with a killer opening, literally.  Cordelia wakes up hungover, wondering what to do with the dead body in her flat.  To try and give herself time to think, she heads out, looking for food, company and alcohol.  As her evening spirals, she starts to realise she has nowhere to turn, nowhere to go and she is out of options.

Where Liz Nugent goes from here is back to the beginning, to the small island off the coast of Ireland that Cordelia (not that she was Cordelia then) grew up on, to a family tragedy that changed her life, and then on through mistake after mistake and bad decision after bad decision till she ends up in a room on the French Riviera and a dead body.  

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The Guilty Ones by Joy Ellis

The Guilty Ones Joy EllisWhen DI Jackman’s sister-in-law commits suicide, his family finds it hard to believe.  She was a loving wife and mother and didn’t seem to have any real cares in the world.

His partner, DI Marie Evans, finds it so hard to believe she becomes convinced not all is as it first appears.  It’s a belief that becomes a reality as first one then two more suicide victims are found, neither of which are quite what they seem.

It looks like someone has come up with a very clever way of committing murder – by getting his or her victims to do it themselves. It’s also a very clever idea of a book, one I enjoyed as I watched the police scramble to figure out just who was behind some rather vicious attacks on seemingly innocent people.

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Stacking Shelves: 3rd February, 2018

STSsmallOnce again, I’m joining in with Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality for Stacking Shelves, where you share the real and virtual books you have added to your shelves in the last week.

Despite my looking to read more physical books at the moment, this week, every book I got was an ebook (it figures!) – but they all looked so good, I just couldn’t resist…

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Month in review: January, 2018

Month in review

Bye-bye January, hello February and – hopefully – warmer weather and longer days.  I long to see the sun after five in the evening!  For the first time in a while, I feel like saying a month didn’t fly by.  It was nice.  With school starting late after the holidays and a bit of a leisurely start to the month as a result, it hasn’t felt rushed for once.  Reading wise, it was pretty good too, with some great books (clicking on the links will take you to the reviews)…

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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Dark MatterDark Matter is not my usual type of read.  It’s Sci-Fi, which I don’t normally go for.  BUT, last year I read so many good reviews that, when I saw it at the library, I decided it was worth a try.

It starts in the present, the here and now, with Jason Dessen helping his wife, Daniela, and son, Charlie, make dinner.  It’s their Thursday night tradition and he is happy.  Life is good, not what he might have thought it would have been when he was younger, but right where he wants to be.

Then, breaking with tradition, Daniela persuades him to go and meet a friend for a drink.  That’s when it all starts going a bit – more than a bit – wrong as he is followed home in the dark and forced to drive to a remote location, where he is given a pill that will change his life.  

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Hide and Seek by M. J. Arlidge

Hide and Seek

When I finished the previous book in the DI Helen Grace series, Little Boy Blue, I was left so blown away that the only word I could use to describe it was “wow!”.  I really wasn’t sure if it could be topped because the ending was so unforeseen and so big a twist for this genre.

I’m not sure Little Boy Blue has been topped by Hide and Seek but M. J. Arlidge does a good job trying with what is still an amazing book.  You’ll have to excuse all the hyperbole but this really is a brilliant book in a brilliant series, one I can’t wait to catch up.

For those reading the series and who haven’t gotten to the end of Little Boy Blue yet, there are spoilers here for the series so you might not want to read on.  They can’t be helped though if I am going to try at all to describe the story.  So apologies in advance.

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Cloak and Dagger Challenge 2018 (late sign-up)

cdchallengebadge2016

Last year, I took part in the Cloak and Dagger challenge and loved it – mainly because it’s the only one I nailed (or will have once I update the book list!).  It is right up my street with the subject matter and it’s hosted by one of my favourite bloggers, Stormi at books, movies, reviews oh my!, along with Barb at Booker Ts Farm.  Given it went so well for me, I’m doing it again (because I like to feel like a winner and this might be the only way!).

To take part, you can read any book from the mystery, suspense, thriller or crime genres (or sub-genres).  They need to be books or novellas over 100 pages so no short stories.  You don’t have to be a blogger as long as you post your reviews somewhere (so Goodreads is fine).  . Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of these genres.  Then you pick the level you want to read for:

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Little Boy Blue by M. J. Arlidge

Little Boy BlueI had one word to say after finishing Little Boy Blue – “Wow!”  I’m a huge fan of the series staring Detective Helen Grace anyway but this, for me, has been the best book yet.

Why?  It started off with the murder of a recurring character in a pretty horrific way (not graphic in the blood and guts way but just in a way which must have been terrifying).

He’s someone Helen knows, though the rest of the team aren’t aware, and she does her best to keep it secret.  With a dogged reporter on her case, it’s not that easy though, and it sets her on edge – effecting her relationship with her team (a relationship that tends to be tense anyway as Helen is not the easiest person to work with).

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Tuesday intro: The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

Once again I’m linking up again with Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea who hosts a post every Tuesday for people to share the first chapter / paragraph of the book they are reading, or thinking of reading soon.

tuesdayI’m also joining in with Teaser Tuesday, hosted by The Purple Booker, where you share teasers from your current read. I read a lot of these posts over the course of an average Tuesday so thought it would be fun to join in here too.

This week, I’m reading a book that people seem to think is either brilliant or blah but that I have wanted to read for a while and which has been taunting me from my kindle…