Chance – Peter Dudgeon

 Amazon.co.uk - Chance

Received in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new author to me. I have one of Peter’s previous books Ticket in my TBR list but hadn’t got round to reading it yet – that has now change, it has been moved up the list and is now sat in the folder on my kindle awaiting me to start which trust me after reading Chance won’t be long!!!

Info from the book:

“A missing convict, a young woman assaulted and killed, an old man murdered in his home. All in different parts of London. With eight million inhabitants, bad things happen to good people all the time.

Only nine-year-old Cassie Janus knows there’s a connection, because she is the killer … in her nightmares at least.”
Now who couldn’t want to read this book, if you like thrillers, crime and books that have you hanging onto every word the author writes.

My review

When I first started reading this book I was hooked, despite finding it a bit confusing at first, trying to remember who the characters were and what relationship they had in the book. This wasn’t because of the style of the writing more that Peter is a new author to me and can sometimes take me a while to get use to how they write etc.

CHANCE is a fantastic book and is centred round a girl called Cassie Janus who has the unfortunate ability (due to being a child) to be able to see what is about to happen around. Trust me when I say if this was an adult who was seeing these things you would be scared out of your life!!!

Cassie experiences visions of future events, and despite telling those closest to her a few are very unsure whether these are bad dreams or a little girl with a vivid imagination.

The book is fantastic and I am at a loss for words as to how good it was without going into too much detail and giving the plot away and I hate spoilers in reviews. Peter is an excellent writer and made the story feel very real to me and had me feeling like I was a character in the book and not sure what would happen with each turn of the page.

I can’t think of one thing that I didn’t like about this book …. Oh hang on yes I can, once I got to 40% of the book on my kindle I was hooked and then on completing the book was left with the feeling of having to wait until Autumn for his next book featuring Cassie Janus to be released.

This is one book that will stay with me this year and one of the best I have read that has gripped me and one that had to be completed. I am pleased to note that Peter managed to get in the Top 100 with this book and that is so deserved. If you want to read a book and like crime / thriller books then this is one for you to take a CHANCE on and read.

I rated this book 5 stars and it is definitely worthy of all 5 of those stars.

Nine Dragons - A Beatrix Rose Thriller: Hong Kong Stories Volume 1 (Beatrix Rose 0.2) by Mark Dawson

 

Amazon.co.uk - Nine-Dragons-Beatrix

Received in exchange for an honest review
5*

This is a novella book and therefore I read in one sitting with my morning cuppa.

This is the second book in the trilogy and picks up where the first one White Devil finished.

Beatrix and Chau have an unusual partnership and were brought together following them killing and disposing of Donnie Qi who was the Triad gangster in Book 1 under instructions of Mr Ying.

They are given another job by Mr Ying for them to undertake and interlinked with that Beatrix saves the life of a young girl who through no fortune of her own crossed paths with the triads.

Again can’t or won’t divulge any more as not fair due to being a novella.  I am lucky enough to be on the advance reading team of Mark Dawson so have book 3 ready to read and will be start and hopefully finished today.

I would recommend you buy all 3 together as once you have read on you will want and need to know what happens and therefore saves you the time of having to obtain the second and then the third copy.

Another excellent book by Mark Dawson.  5*

Stealing Power – Bo Brennan

Amazon.co.uk - Stealing Power

Read as part of monthly online bookclub I’m a member of.
5*

Stealing Power tells a story about two detectives. Detective Chief Inspector AJ Colt and Detective India Kane.   This is the first in a trilogy
Detective Kane is based in Hampshire and DCI Colt is based in London.  Colt moves from London to Hampshire to assist with a case of a serial rapist who drugs his victims and then videos the attack and rapes that happen to his victims whilst they are under the influence of the drug.  Most of his victims are not even aware that they have been violated and videoed until well after the event when DNA evidence has been washed away and the drugs are out of their system.

The rapist has major issues with DCI Colt and thrives off sending copies of the videos to him and he also mails a copy to his victim.  The DVD’s have tormented Colt for the last three years and he is determined to bring this serial rapist to justice.

Colt and Kane do not get on once partnered together, Kane is a strong-willed female character, feisty and is not a people person.  Does not like being partnered with Kane as this was her first real lead case which was then snatched from her by Colt arriving on the scene.
I particularly liked the camaraderie between the two characters and wanted things to move along between them, and this kept me entertained at the way they were dealing with each other.  The story was enjoyable and had me guessing who the perpetrator was, only for me to be wrong and then being cross with myself for thinking it was that person on reading more.

Cannot pinpoint any particularly dislikes about the book and look forward to reading more by this author and have placed the next one in my wish list ready to buy. 

This is the first book in the trilogy and having not read the second yet cannot advise whether you would need to read this one first – but if you are looking for a book and like this review then pop along and grab yourself a copy.

White Devil – Mark Dawson (5*)

Amazon.co.uk - White Devil

Received in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first introduction to Beatrix so wasn’t sure what to expect.   All I can say is loved it!!

This is a novella and is the first in a trilogy and are set in Hong Kong.  Beatrix is an ex government assassin currently hiding out and has her own hidden agenda of finding her daughter.  Unfortunately in this book she becomes involved with the Triads despite trying to mind her own business when in a bar having a quite drink.

As this is a novella if I went into any more detail it wouldn’t be worth you reading the book and unfortunately (or fortunately) depending on how you view things, this isn’t going to happen.

If you liked this review and wish to know more then I suggest you pick up the books and make sure you have an hour or more spare so you can sit and read in one sitting like I did.

Well done Mr Dawson on another fantastic book.

Off to read Book 2 in the series now.

The Widows’ Cafe by Camilla Läckberg

Amazon.co.uk - Widows Cafe - Short Story 

Excellent short story, first book I've read by this author and loved it. Will be reading more by this author now!!

Quirky tale of a cafe which does special requests. Wonder how many people would like a cafe like this and to be able to order The Widow's Special!!

Rise of the Enemy (The Enemy #2) by Rob Sinclair

www.amazon.co.uk - Rise of the Enemy

This is the second book in The Enemy series and is just as good as the first.

Carl Logan up to his eyes in it as always!!!

Carl Logan; MoD for the Russian Federation; stun grenades; sting grenades; rubber bullets and that's just in the first 3 chapters.

Following on from Carl Logan recovering from a gunshot wound and not over the betrayal of Angela Grainger he's sent on another JIA mission to Russia.

However his mission is not all plain sailing, and doesn't go as planned, colleague killed, someone after him, someone determined to stop him no matter what. Closed safety deposit boxes whilst Logan was otherwise engaged being held in captivity.

Story is told in the present through flashback chapters (which I found hard at first) but all have the distinct Rob Sinclair flow which is a pleasure to read.

Carl is as usual struggling to understand the deception that is thrown at him and starts to have doubts about his boss Mackie. He can't believe / doesn't want to believe what's being told but still the doubts are making him cautious with all he meets!!

Great book and excellent follow up, look forward to reading the next instalment.

Everything and Nothing by Araminta Hall

 

Amazon.co.uk - Everything and Nothing 

Read as part of monthly Bookclub read.

The book is centred around Christian, Ruth their two children Betty and Hal along with their nanny Agatha.

Ruth is a full time working mum, deputy editor of a magazine and therefore an extremely busy woman, whose children have problems of their own.

Christian is Ruth's husband with his own job and all seems well. He's working and completely obvlious to his surroundings until Sarah walks back into his life. Sarah is a woman he had an affair with a few years back.

Betty is the eldest child who has never slept in her own bed all night, this causes problems between the parents, each with their own view what should be done.

Hal is the youngest child who has only ever drank milk until Agatha (the new nanny) walks into their lives and through gentle persuasion helps him understand food and encourages him to eat. They form a bond, too strong of a bond which is where the story seems to centre on to me.

Agatha has a past a dark past which you get a glimmer of through the book, but is employed to look after the children, unbeknown to the parents she has an ulterior motive.

The book moves along with the story entwined between them all, each sides story being unfolded as you turn the pages.

Towards the end you have a rough idea of what is going to happen and as you get to the end the story unravels quickly .... too quickly in my opinion and I felt that the ending was rushed, as though the author had realised she didn't have long left to finish the story. You are left with a few unanswered questions I felt and the book seem to end too suddenly.

My rating is therefore 3 stars, based on the fact that I enjoyed the book but it finished too early for me to warrant a higher rating.