The Ulterior Motive by Jack Coleston

The Ulterior Motive by Jack Coleston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We all know about the despicable deeds of the extremist groups from recent events around Europe. It is now the turn of the U.S. to succumb to their terror. As chaos and death hits Washington, Stanley and Anna Carmichael, both employed by the CIA but in totally different roles, try to track down and eliminate the threat of yet more terror. Anna a legend in the service is quietly happy to be back in the field again however she never expected the hunt for their target to be as dangerous. Expertly written the author has produced a very exciting full action thriller which fully conveys the fear generated by the actions and lack of morality of the terrorists. He has also used the thriller staple of revenge to drive the main story line. Excellent story if not possibly a little close to reality.

View all my reviews

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Candice Fox has done it again, another excellent thriller. This time a detective is accused of a child abduction has to escapes attention by moving to Crimson Lake, a remote crocodile infested area in the North of Australia. He needs to work again, and teams up with an unlikely partner, a private investigator with a murderous past. The author expertly uses these circumstances to build a strange environment for them to investigate a missing person case. All the locals having a downer on both investigators deserved or undeserved, adds another dimension. This is a complex case the details of which provide a few twists and turns. Running alongside this, Ted (the detective) tries to resolve his own predicament and clear his name. Although it deals with very serious crimes it has its humorous moments with Ted's partner cycling everywhere, refusing lifts. Very different set up to the previous Candice Fox books but equally exciting and thrilling.

View all my reviews

A Quiet Death by Cari Hunter

A Quiet Death by Cari Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is not often I award five stars, so put this book on your want to read list. Cari Hunter has delivered an excellent thriller on the thorny topic of people trafficking, but in the peak district. Detective Sanne Jansen is assigned to the mysterious death of a young Pakistani girl, whose body is discovered on the moors. The author leads us through the detective process to find the identity and cause of death of the young girl. As the investigation starts the community close out the detectives, who must try and get a lead on the case before the trail goes cold. As the excitement increases so does the peril for the investigators, which is cleverly interwoven with Jansen's own issues and that of her partner Dr Meg Fielding adding to the overall tension. The book runs at a fast pace compelling you to just keep reading.
Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Before the Dawn by Jake Woodhouse

Before the Dawn by Jake Woodhouse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Third book in the Jaap Rykel series. Based in Holland I found this book a little flat, (pun intended) with a very slow start and never really hitting any high points of excitement, tension or suspense. It is however a decent story but not a thriller, an intricate plot surrounding the murders of unconnected people. Can you apply logic to be able to solve this mystery, Jaap uses all his skills to analyse the facts and try to find a lead. Although there is a twist at the end I was not satisfied with ending, but that may be only me wanting all the loose ends resolved. Could mean there will be a fourth story.

View all my reviews

The Kill Sign by Nichole Christoff

The Kill Sign by Nichole Christoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jamie Sinclair is visiting in Mississippi where she has a new boyfriend who is stationed at Fort Donovan. Adam Barrett is a Colonel in the military police and on a temporary posting. Intent on a romantic night out they attend a function on a paddle steamer which is attacked by bombers killing and maiming many servicemen on board. Jamie recognises a couple of people on the steamer, could they be involved, or do you believe your instincts and assume extremist terrorists are to blame. Jamie needs to help and investigate who is responsible. This is a fast moving action thriller full of little twists and turns, with few clues to the final outcome. Nichole Christoff has written a very good follow up to the excellent The Kill Box full of the same First entertaining action but in a totally different scenario. This series could be easily read one after the other without getting boring. Recommended.

View all my reviews

Exposure by Helen Dunmore

Exposure by Helen Dunmore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

1960’s cold war is the setting for this spook thriller. The story line feeds directly from the events of the spy fraternity that existed at the time – gay men educated and recruited at university. Giles Holloway has a habit of taking files home but has an accident and asks a favour of Simon Callington to return a top-secret file to the Admiralty office. This is where it all goes wrong and Simon finds himself being accused of spying. Simon is the accused however the star character is his spouse Lily a German refugee. The author paints a very austere picture of life in a Britain covered in a vail of cold war suspicion. You instantly start to imagine what it would be like to live in this era (I vaguely remember it), with steam trains, landlines, smog, no TV, no computers and no central heating. This is the best part of the book as without this vivid description of life, the plot would disappear in importance and would be much better with more action.

View all my reviews

The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid by Craig Russell

The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid by Craig Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in 1950’s Glasgow this is a very atmospheric and funny novel with a great detective story. Tommy Quaid dies whilst undertaking a task for his friend Lennox, who as a private detective was already suspicious of the client, certain his death is not the tragic accident that the police think. Digging further into “Quiet Tommy’s” death he starts to uncover connections that leads him into trouble and using his network in the police and the criminal underworld he is determined to track down the killer. One of the attractive elements of Craig Russell’s writing style is his unique way he builds a very vivid picture of fifties Glasgow. Not only is it entertaining it is also educational with details of immigration and accents that created Glasgow’s special culture. Add all this to the excellent storyline and the exciting action involved in tracking the killer and you get an superb novel.

View all my reviews