The Jungle - Mark Dawson

 The Jungle (John Milton #9)

John Milton is back, and helping out a friend by driving a lorry to Europe, via Calais (and the camp which is known as “The Jungle” where the refugees camp out, before trying to hitch a ride via whatever means they can over to the United Kingdom.

This book centres around a young man who manages to hide in Milton’s friends lorry and upon arriving in the UK is found by Immigration and sent to a holding facility whilst his case is reviewed, but not before Milton manages to obtain the reason as to why he travelled in the back of the truck and the sole purpose of the reason he wanted to get across the border.

Milton advises that he will help him, after hearing his tale and the fact that the young man in question wants to find his sister, who has been kidnapped by people smugglers and sold.  Milton therefore enlists the help of Hicks to assist him in this “mission”, and we are also treated to another personal insight into what makes Milton tick, what his inner demons are and what he is trying to do to keep these at bay.

Another cracking read by Mark Dawson and I am so looking forward to the next episode in this series. 

If you haven’t read any of Mark’s books, I would suggest starting from the beginning to understand who Milton is and why he is the way he is.  However, these books can be read as standalones should you wish.

My thanks go to Mark Dawson for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.  I look forward to reading book 10. 

Valentina - S E Lynes

 

 

Valentina 

My first thoughts on starting reading to read this book, after the first few pages were “do I have to continue?”, not because I didn’t want to read this, I did!  It sounded right up my street, but because the opening pages were not what I expected to read.

Once I read a quarter of the book (my cut off point as to whether to continue) I realised why the writer / author wrote as she did and set the scene as it’s set.

Shona and Valentina are friends, they met through their children after Shona visits a nursery with her daughter Isla, upon moving to a rural cottage in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with her partner Michael (Mikey) who works away on the oil rigs, on a rotating shift of two weeks on / two weeks off.  Valentina is a mysterious woman, married to a man (that Shona never gets to meet) and they also have a son, who is the same age as Isla, Shona’s daughter.  Shona is happy and excited to have made a friend, as she is lonely after moving into the remote cottage, but then things start to happen which makes her question the friendship.       

This is a book that once I finished, had me thinking about friendships / relationships and the hidden depths people go to!   

This book makes you think, makes you question the things that can and do happen in relationships.  The lengths some people go to, to keep / get what they want.

My thanks go to S E Lynes for contacting me and asking would I like to review this book.  I am so glad I did.  I look forward to reading more by this author.  I would also like to the publishers Blackbird Digital Books.