Murder in the Fens by Clare Chase

Having enjoyed the previous Tara Thorpe books (review links are further down the page), I was delighted to read this, the latest in the series. Huge thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookoutre for inviting me on to the blog tour, and for providing my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb:

When the body of twenty-year-old Julie Cooper is found – her pockets stuffed full of wilting flowers – in an iron-age hill fort on the edge of the fens, Detective Tara Thorpe and her team are called in to investigate. The evidence points to an illicit affair gone wrong… but is there more to the story? 

As always at the Cambridge Constabulary, the case turns personal. Detective Blake is exhausted after the arrival of a new baby with wayward wife Babette, and Tara is keen to put as much distance between herself and Blake as she can – both at the station and on the hunt for the killer. Charming rookie officer Jez is the perfect distraction… but is he a little too good to be true?

Then Tara makes a startling breakthrough when she finds an unsettling family heirloom hidden in the late victim’s bedroom – a golden statue of a sinister-looking cat with emerald eyes. As she traces its origins, Tara begins to realise that Julie’s murder is no one-off crime, but a sinister plot with its roots in a terrible secret that was covered up decades earlier.

Murder in the Fens was published by Bookoutre on 24th June 2019 and you can buy it here.

The links to my reviews of the previous books in the series can be found below:

Book 1 – Murder on the Marshes
Book 2 – Death on the River
Book 3 – Death Comes to Call

My Review:

I have followed Tara Thorpe from the beginning when she was a journalist, and on as she settled into the Cambridge police force as a detective constable. And I've enjoyed the wee frisson between her and her boss (now) Garstin (what a name!) Blake.

I have to say at this point, I disagree with the cozy (and why isn't cosy when it's British? Grr) mystery label. I said the same regarding the last book, so this time I looked up the kind of things that tend to feature in a cozy mystery. In my opinion, this isn’t one, and that's a good thing. For me anyway, because they're not my cup of tea.

The team are investigating the murder of a young, political active student from Cambridge University. There are crushed flowers in her pocket, and in her digs a felt tip heart torn into tiny pieces. And it looks like she was recently wearing a ring that 's no longer there.

There are plenty of dodgy characters linked to Julie, all of whom must be investigated. Her ex boyfriend doesn't really seem that upset about her death, unlike her best friend who is completely devastated, but she's maybe not telling the whole truth. Julie's predatory lecturer also goes under the microscope, and the master of the college too because Julie had been investigating him. And why the note about Scotland?

I love Tara. Due to her background as a journalist she has a different way of looking at things, tending to be more intuitive, which often yields good results. She has settled in to her role in the police and bonded well with her partner Max. Blake is still troubled by his difficult marriage and now struggling with sleepless nights due to a new baby. Something needs to change. But my favourite characters are Bea and Kemp, Tara's support system. Always loving (although Kemp shows this in his own unique way), dependable and just who Tara needs.

The investigation was interesting, with some good discoveries along the way, and a few dead ends along the way. The pacing is fine, and increases momentum as the case does, to a terrific denouement and the wee bit right at the end made me give a little cheer. You'll need to read it to find out why!

An easy, enjoyable read, and I'm already looking forward to Tara's next (non cozy) adventure!


The Author:

Clare Chase writes women sleuth mysteries and recently signed a deal with Bookouture for a new crime series set in Cambridge. The opening book, Murder on the Marshes, was published in July 2018. The mystery follows investigative journalist Tara Thorpe as she teams up with Detective Garstin Blake to solve the murder of a young female professor at Cambridge University. The case takes them through the dark underbelly of Cambridge and in to the murky fens that surround the centuries-old city. The second and third books followed in late 2018 and early 2019, with Murder in the Fens, the fourth in the series, published this month.

After graduating from London University with a degree in English Literature, Clare moved to Cambridge and has lived there ever since. She's fascinated by the city's contrasts and contradictions, which feed into her writing. She's worked in diverse settings - from the 800-year-old University to one of the local prisons - and lived everywhere from the house of a Lord to a slug-infested flat. The terrace she now occupies, with her husband and teenage children, presents a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people's books.

Clare’s debut novel, You Think You Know Me, was shortlisted for the Novelicious Undiscovered Award 2012, and an EPIC award in 2015. It was also chosen as a debut of the month by Lovereading.

You can find Clare's website and blog at  www.clarechase.com.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClareChase_
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10204574.Clare_Chase
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClareChaseAuthor/

Do remember to check out the other blogs taking part in the tour! 

The Journey by Conrad Jones

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Journey. Conrad Jones is a new author to me although he's written a ton of books. The blurb for this one really grabbed me. Thanks to the lovely Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side Publicity and Promo for inviting me and to the author for providing my review copy.

The Blurb:

A powerful and emotional read. The Journey is THE must-read thriller of 2019.

The gripping story of a young boy and his family, driven from their home by war and indiscriminate violence. Like millions of others, they attempt the treacherous journey across their war-torn continent, trying to reach the safety of Europe.

The truth is, Europe doesn’t want them and thousands die every month at the hands of thieves and profiteering men to whom life is cheap.

The story is fast-paced, at times funny, at times heart-breaking but it will pull you along at 100 miles an hour. It will make you think and it will make you question your perceptions.

Most of all it will make you ask if your family was in peril, what would you do?

The Journey was published by The Thriller Factory on 24th February 2018 and you can but it from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review:

Oh. My. Goodness. This is one hell of a book. It opened my eyes to so much. It's powerful, brutal and heart breaking.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I remember hearing the news reports of Boko Haram kidnapping African women. I remember being horrified, but to my shame I soon forgot about them. And, like you, I've watched the awful pictures of refugees trying to cross the sea to Europe, often with tragic results. And I've wondered how bad must it be in their home countries to make them even consider such a dangerous journey. This book is fiction, but it's  clearly been well researched, and if the truth is even half as bad as described in this story, then I better understand the dilemma these people face.

The Journey tells the story of 10 year old Beb, his parents and three sisters who live in the Nigerian village of Monguno. They are a close, happy family, relatively affluent compared to some others in the village.

Boko Haram fighters are sweeping from town to town, village to village, forcing men to join them or die, kidnapping children to train them as soldiers and taking women as sex slaves. Anyone of no use to them they kill. They loot houses and businesses, take what they want and burn the rest.

One day, they arrive in Monguno, and it's terrible. But Beb's father, Kalu, has planned for this. He's hidden money, food, fuel and a truck and is determined to save his family and get them away from danger.  All the way to Europe.

We see the first part of the story mainly through young Beb's eyes as he sees things no child should ever see. Later in the journey we see Kalu's view, as he makes the toughest decisions he's ever had to make. And ones that go completely against his beliefs as a doctor.

The blurb says the story is 'at times funny.' Please don't be misled, this is in no way a fun read. But there are some light hearted moments when Kalu is trying to raise the spirits of his terrified family, often aided by Beb, who is an astonishingly mature young man.

Parts of this story are brutal, with clear descriptions of the violence carried out by the Boko Haram fighters. Some of the later parts of the journey, when they face the terrifying sea crossing are really quite harrowing.

It's difficult to say I enjoyed this book because of it's content, but it made a huge impression on me. I was holding my breath turning every page, whilst my heart broke a little more each time. It mended a bit occasionally, only to break again. I had tears in my eyes when I reached the end.

A very powerful, thought provoking book that will stay with me for a long time.

The Author:

Conrad Jones is a 52-year-old author, who lives in Holyhead, Anglesey.

'I started a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.

'In March 1993 I was managing the restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.

'I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank`and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’.

'I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when I set off on an 11-week tour of the USA. The day before I boarded the plane, Madeleine McCann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn’t realise it at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker, years later. During that trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They informed me that they couldn’t do anything for weeks and that returning home would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my 20th novel, The Journey, something that never would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in Warrington.

'As far as my favourite series ever, it has to be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy. The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me, triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited years for the second book, The Lair, and Domain, the third book to come out and they were amazing. Domain is one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially the early books, has kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosch Series.'

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/conradjonesauthorpage/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ConradJones

Now You See Me by Chris McGeorge

Today is my stop on the tour for the new one from Chris McGeorge, another new author to me. Thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to take part and to the publisher for my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb:

Six people went in. Only one came out...

Introducing Standedge Tunnel: the longest canal tunnel in England.

Last year six students went in, and two and a half hours later, the boat reappeared on the other side with only one of the students, unconscious, and the dog.

The case of the Standedge Six was largely kept from the national media. The police investigation concluded that the only remaining student, Matthew, killed his friends, hid the bodies on the boat and returned later to move them to an undisclosed location.

Matthew is in prison . . . but maintains he is innocent.

Robin Ferringham is grieving for his missing wife, Sam. So when Matthew contacts him for help with his case, promising information on Sam, Robin has no choice but to help. But can he trust Matthew?

And how will he solve the unsolvable case?

Now You See Me was published by Orion on 13th June 2019. You can buy it from Waterstones, Amazon and other good bookshops.


My Review:

Well, this was a first for me - a mystery set in a canal tunnel! Of course, the first thing I did was check Google and Standedge Tunnel does indeed exist. I wander what the tourist folk think about having a mystery set in their tunnel. Perhaps it'll encourage more visitors - I know I want to go!

Author Robin is desperate after the disappearance of his beloved wife Sam three years ago. She just seemed to disappear into thin air, without a trace. When Matthew, a young man in prison for murdering his five best friends, calls him out of the blue claiming to have spoken to Sam, he knows he must investigate further.

The local folk greet him with caution. For them it is clear -  Matthew murdered his friends, who were all successful young people destined for great things. They don't , how he did it, but that doesn't seem to worry them. Only the person behind an underground online news site is willing to help him. And Robin must try to help Matthew to find out about Sam.

Robin is instantly likeable. We don't know why Sam is missing, but I couldn't imagine it was anything to do with Robin. He is clearly devastated, and more than a little lost. He can't help but cling to the hope that Matthew's words bring.  But we see how strong and determined he is. The other character that stood out for me was James Sutherland, Edmund's father. Another heart breaking character. He believes different from the other parents of the 'Standedge Five' and most of the townsfolk in general, and has lost so much as a result.

The story is quite a complicated one, which was great for keeping my attention, although I have to confess to getting a bit lost with some of the engineering stuff! But it's all clearly well researched. And there are certainly some colourful characters here, some not very likeable at all.

It says on Chris' bio below that he likes 'weird and wonderful plots, with plenty of intrigue and twists.' Well, he has certainly achieved that with this! Starting with it's unusual setting and going on from there. I can't say much more for fear of giving something away, but I can say it's definitely weird, wonderful, twisty and intriguing! I didn't see anything coming, although I always knew everything wasn't quite as it seemed. It's also very dark in places, and very emotional in others. I'm very much looking forward to reading more by Chris McGeorge.


The Author:

Chris McGeorge has an MA in Creative Writing (Crime / Thriller) from City University London where he wrote his first crime novel Dead Room for this thesis. He constantly told stories from a young age, whether they took the form of comics, short stories or scripts.

He is a lover of Golden Age crime, like Christie and Conan Doyle, leading his crime stories to be a mix of the old and the contemporary. He likes weird and wonderful plots, with plenty of intrigue and twists.

His often coherent ramblings about everything pop culture can be found on his blog Festival of Blood and occasionally he produces the Sarcasmicast podcast with a group of friends. You can find him on Twitter @crmcgeorge.

Wolves at the Door by Gunnar Staalesen (translated by Don Bartlett)

I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for this, the latest book in the Varg Veum series. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me and to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for providing my review copy.

The Blurb:

The wolves are no longer in the dark … they are at his door. And they want vengeance… The next instalment in the international, bestselling Varg Veum series by one of the fathers of Nordic Noir…

One dark January night a car drives at high speed towards PI Varg Veum, and comes very close to killing him. Veum is certain this is no accident, following so soon after the deaths of two jailed men who were convicted for their participation in a case of child pornography and sexual assault … crimes that Veum himself once stood wrongly accused of committing.

While the guilty men were apparently killed accidentally, Varg suspects that there is something more sinister at play … and that he’s on the death list of someone still at large.

Fearing for his life, Veum begins to investigate the old case, interviewing the victims of abuse and delving deeper into the brutal crimes, with shocking results. The wolves are no longer in the dark … they are at his door. And they want vengeance.

Wolves at the Door as published by Orenda Books. You can purchase it from Waterstones or Amazon.


My Review:

Gunnar Staalesen is a new name to me, although he has written plenty of books prior to this one. To my shame, until recently, I hadn't read many, if any, translated books. Orenda changed all of that. The quality of work coming out of the Orenda stable is always high, and as about half of their books are in translation it seemed the right place to start. It was such a good decision! It's given me a whole new selection of reading material, thanks to brilliant, talented translators, in this case Don Bartlett.

Wolves at the Door is part of the Varg Veum series, and I believe it is a follow up to Wolves in the Dark. Despite not having read any of the others, I didn't feel disadvantaged - this worked just perfectly as a standalone. All the back story I needed was there.

After a car narrowly misses private investigator Veum in what appears to be a targeted attack, he is concerned that it is linked to the recent deaths of two men. The men in question were, along with a third man, his co-accused in a previous child pornography case. Although Veum was completely exonerated, he is concerned that someone might be out for revenge, and vows to find out more.

Although this isn't a story about child pornography, it is  mentioned in broad terms throughout, never in detail, but this might make uncomfortable reading for some.

I really liked Varg. He clearly has a strong sense of right and wrong, and is determined to get to the bottom of the situation. He has a sense of world weariness about him, and I enjoyed his love hate relationship with the police.

The story moves quite slowly as we follow Veum's investigation, but it is full of detail which more than makes up for it. There is a rich cast of supporting characters, all richly described, although not many are very likeable! One that really stood out was Laila, who is very damaged and lashes out at everyone, even those who try to help her. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Norway is a country I knew nothing about, but I feel I know a little bit more now, thanks to Staalesen's descriptions, which is fantastic. I struggled a little with some of the place and character names, but that was just my unfamiliarity with the Norwegian. I had a grip on them by the end.

Whilst the story moved quite slowly, there was plenty going on. Characters were built up, layer on layer and I found the writing rich and a pleasure to read. The denouement was perfect, and even better, I hadn't worked it out! I'm definitely looking forward to reading some of the other books in the Varg Veum series.

The Author:

One of the fathers of the Nordic Noir genre, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty-three titles, which have been published in twenty-six countries and sold over five million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim, and a further series is currently being filmed. Staalesen, who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour) and the Petrona Award, and been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger, lives in Bergen with his wife.


Be sure to check out the other blogs taking part in the tour!

Savage Games by Peter Boland

For my stop on the blog tour for this fabulous book, I'm delighted to share my review, which originally appeared in April. Thanks to the lovely Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side Publicity and Promo for inviting me on the tour. I had previously received a review copy from the author, and bought my own Kindle edition on publication day.

The Blurb:

A body hidden in a tree.
A forest full of dark secrets. 

A man determined to find the truth...

"Wow. Just seriously wow!" Goodreads reviewer, five stars.. 

John Savage receives the shocking news that his friend has been found dead in bizarre circumstances. His body hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in the New Forest. Savage vows to find out who is responsible. 

Together with brilliant computer hacker Tannaz, he discovers his friend was down on his luck, living among those who society would rather forget - the dregs, the desperate and the homeless. Entering this dark and dangerous world, Savage soon discovers that the death of his friend was just the tip of the iceberg...

Savage Games is a bestselling, fast-paced action thriller for fans of James Patterson, Lee Child and David Baldacci.

Savage Games was published by Adrenalin Books on 4th April 2019 and is available to purchase here.

You can find my review of Savage Lies, the first book in the series, here. Peter's fabulous guest post about the inspiration for Savage is here, and my Q&A with the main man himself, John Savage, is here.

My Review:

The first book in the John Savage series, Savage Lies, was one of my favourite books of 2018. Peter was a new author to me, but the book just blew me away. So imagine my delight at getting my hands on this, the follow up.

John Savage is back, maybe a year after the end of the first book. He's getting older and feeling it but, for me at least, he's still pretty hot!

Tannaz, the talented young hacker from book one, features heavily in this book, but don't worry if you haven't read Savage Lies (although you really should because it's freaking awesome) as this works fine as a standalone. Anything you need to know from before, you find out. She's fabulous and I love her relationship with Savage. There's no romance nonsense, just two people who love and respect each other as friends. And the rapport between them is brilliant.

A young man turns up at Savage's door. He's the son of an old friend who's recently died, in a slightly odd fashion. What starts out as a simple favour for Luke soon turns much darker when Savage discovers a whole underground culture.

I don't want to tell you too much about the story because I really want you to discover it for yourself. I can tell you that it gripped me from the beginning, and I had no idea where it was going to take me. The cast of supporting characters are certainly colourful and wonderfully described. I thought Dink might break my heart, and everyone will feel for Archie, the wee guy with a drink problem. But he has a secret...

For me, the scene setting is as important as the characters and story, and here it is done beautifully, particularly in respect to the estate where Luke's father spent his last days, and the forest where some of the action takes place. That's a really creepy place, I can tell you! There are references to films scattered throughout the book, but a couple of scenes also brought other movies to mind, specifically a little bit of Escape from New York (1981) and Hard Target with Jean-Claude Van Damme (1993). I'll let you work out which scenes I'm referring to when you read the book.

The pace builds from the beginning, as does the action. Savage was a skilled soldier, and it shows. But some of the things he discovers are horrific, and sometimes a little uncomfortable and difficult to read. But that's down to the writing being so descriptive. When I reviewed Savage Lies, I said I thought it was very current. And I feel very much the same about this book - it's a story for our time. It's extreme, but it shows vulnerable people can be exploited, and that certainly happens in our society today.

So I have been deliberately obtuse about the story as I don't want to spoil anything, but I can safely say this will be one of my books of the year. And it was only February when I read it! It's clearly well researched and will have you reaching for Google to check things out. It's original, exciting, gripping and dark. Violent and shocking in places. But it's very human, with plenty of emotion.

Basically, I loved everything about this book! It's another triumph for Peter Boland and he should be very proud. Go out and read both books! And me? I CAN'T WAIT to see what John Savage gets up to next!

The Author:

After studying to be an architect, Pete realised he wasn't very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn't make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games.

After becoming disillusioned with working in ad agencies, he switched to writing novels (or was it because he wanted to work at home in his pyjamas?). He soon realised there's no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, playing Nintendo Switch with his son, watching America's Next Top Model with his daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterBolandWriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeterBoland19

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7102414.Peter_Boland

Be sure to check out the rest of the blogs taking part in the tour!

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for the fantastic debut novel by blogger extradonaire, publicist and all round beaut, Noelle Holten. Thank you to the lovely Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side Publicity & Promo for inviting me, and to the publishers for my review copy which I received via Netgalley. I have since bought my own copy.

The Blurb:

‘Kept me hooked … excellent pace and a very satisfying ending’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

'A brilliant debut – gritty, dark and chilling. Noelle Holten knows her stuff’ Mel Sherratt

A dark and gripping debut crime novel – the first in a stunning new series – from a huge new talent.

The killer is just getting started…

When three wife beaters are themselves found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered.

And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the police are running out of time, but can Maggie really believe her friend Lucy is a cold-blooded killer?

Dead Inside was published by Killer Reads/Harper Collins on May 31st 2019 and you can purchase it from Amazon.


My Review:

I had been looking forward to reading this debut from Noelle for so long, and so was hugely excited when it arrived. But a little anxious for her too. What if it wasn't very good? What if I didn't like it? Of course, I needn't have worried. It's fab.

Maggie Jamieson has just transferred to the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit (DAHU) and is immediately pulled into the murder investigation of a known domestic abuser. Two other killings quickly follow and the victims are again known abusers. All three have links to Lucy Sherwood, a probation officer, whose husband becomes the fourth victim.

Although this is the first in a series featuring Maggie Jamieson, I felt this was very much Lucy's story. I really liked Lucy. She's focused, composed, good at her job and liked by colleagues and her liaison within the police. But at home, behind closed doors, she's the victim of abuse at the hands of her husband Patrick. I found some of these scenes hard to read. I am lucky never to have experienced anything like this, but it seemed very real. I know that sadly the author does have personal experience and I think that knowledge is evident in the writing. It also goes some way towards answering the question "Why doesn't she just leave?" . The answer is because it's never that simple, and this comes across clearly in the book. Work is an escape for Lucy, an opportunity for her to be the confident version of herself, where she doesn't even use her married name. I can't remember another book that talks about the probation service in any great detail, and here the author's experience as a probation officer shines through.

There are a lot of characters featured in the story, particularly early on, and I did struggle a bit with that. Made me smile, though, seeing names I recognised! Characters, other than Lucy, who stood out for me were Patrick, simply because he was so detestable, Rory, who broke my heart a little bit and Mark, a man with strong opinions but kind intentions. I loved his sweet friendship with Lucy, and hope to read more about that in the future.

Although there is a lot of detail given about the characters, I definitely feel I still need to get to know Maggie Jamieson better. There was so much going on in the story, a lot of which is centred around Lucy, that I feel there is still much to learn about Maggie. I'm sure that will change in future books.

As I mentioned earlier, Maggie is thrown straight into the murder investigation, and from there, things never really let up. There is plenty of action, and the story is fast paced throughout. The descriptions given about the murders are detailed enough, but never over the top. We follow the police investigation and Lucy is soon a suspect, but Maggie just has a feeling that she didn't do it. I saw some of the ending coming, but definitely didn't guess all of it, and it made for emotional reading.

This is a strong debut, and a great beginning to a new series. Noelle's experience shines through in her writing, and she has delivered a story that feels authentic. I can't wait to see what happens next!


Author Bio:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BAs – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle's hobbies include reading, author-stalking and sharing the book love via her blog.

Dead Inside is her debut novel with Killer Reads/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.


Author Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/
Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18489795.Noelle_Holten
Blog: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk
Instagram: @crimebookjunkie