The Nudge Man by Keith Nixon

It really is a pleasure to take part in the blog tour for the new book by one of my fave people. I have read most of Keith's crime fiction books and enjoyed all of them. So I was delighted to be asked to read this one, the first in a new series featuring Harry Vaughan. Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy at Books On The Bright Side Tours for inviting me and providing my review book. I have since bought my own copy.

The Blurb:

A washed up reporter, an escaped convict, a sociopathic gangster. All are hunting The Nudge Man…

“There’s only one of me. I’m not a hitman. I’m unique, one of a kind. I’m The Nudge Man.”

Wheelchair bound, born again, ex-gangster, Eric Hennessey offers down on his luck reporter, Harrison Vaughan, a job. Find The Nudge Man, a mysterious vigilante who’s stolen most of Hennessey’s money, ill-gotten gains which now Hennessey wants to use to do God’s work. Trouble is, Harry has no desire to work for a sociopathic murderer, even if he is an apparently changed man.

Harry is estranged from his family, he hasn’t seen or heard from them in over five years, since a fabricated scandal destroyed his career. Harry believes his wife walked out on him and took the children. However, Hennessey tells Vaughan it was The Nudge Man who set him up for the fall. Find The Nudge Man and Harry has the chance for redemption and maybe even his family back.

However, Hennessey has another objective in mind. Unknown to Harry his family were taken into witness protection and had to cut ties with everyone after Harry’s son saw a murder – carried out by Eric Hennessey. But the witness protection programme was compromised and the Vaughans had to go off the grid, they couldn’t contact anybody. Hennessey has been looking for them ever since and now may have a way in – Harry himself.

Harry’s search begins in prison, visiting violent criminal Pomfrey Lavender – apparently Lavender has information which will help. But Lavender is suffering various medical problems, including a psychological condition whereby he believes he’s already dead. Harry’s mention of The Nudge Man sends Lavender into a rage and he threatens to kill Harry should he pursue his objective. Harry is relieved Lavender is behind bars. Trouble is, two days later Lavender breaks out.

And others are on the trail of The Nudge Man, including the British government and an American secret service agent. Then there’s the lawyer who offers Harry £1m. All Harry has to do is stay away from The Nudge Man...

"Packed with the author’s trademark wit, The Nudge Man is a seriously good, mind-bendingly twisty novel, and cements Nixon’s place among the upper echelon of British crime writers."

M.W. Craven, author of the Washington Poe Novels.

The Nudge Man was published by Gladius Press on 2nd April 2019 and you can purchase it here.

My Review:

I really enjoyed Nixon's Solomon Gray series (so far) and I love the Konstanstin books that I've read so far, so I was thrilled to discover he was starting another series with a brand new character.

Harry Vaughan is a down on his luck, down at heel (judging by the pub he drinks in!) reporter, with pretty much no money. He has not been in contact with his family for over five years since his wife left him following a made up scandal which targeted him, and he doesn't even know where they are.

Seemingly reformed gangster Eric Hennessey persuades Harry to look for The Nudge Man, a mysterious individual who, for money, 'influences' people and situations to force a particular outcome. Hennessey tells Harry that it was The Nudge Man who was behind his fall from grace. Various other people, British and American, also want Harry to find The Nudge Man, and there's a lawyer who will pay him to do exactly the opposite...

The book is set roughly in the same area as Keith's other books, although we do visit a few other places in this book, and it's a bit of the country I have never visited, but I really feel I have - the descriptions are so good. It was also nice to see a couple of characters from the other books pop up.

Vaughan is easily likeable - he's affable and non threatening, and 'acquires' a brilliant sidekick in Bonzo the dog, who is in danger of stealing every scene he's in! So they make for a lovable pair, and you just can't help rooting for them, despite the huge odds against them. Hennessey is also a fabulous character, but because he's so unlikeable. He's apparently found religion, but you get the impression that nothing sincere comes out of his mouth. He made my skin crawl a little bit.

As with the Konstantin books, the chapters are short and snappy with brilliant titles - 'The Not So Private Dick', 'A Sticky Ending' and 'Monkey Nuts' being my personal favourites. There are also a couple of class character names - I mean, Pomfrey Lavender! So funny. And there is dark humour running all the way through - usually from Harry. The book is written in the first person from his point of view so we know his thoughts as well as what he says. I love this injection of comedy.

The Nudge Man is well written, fun, pacey, twisty and action packed as we follow Harry's search for the identity of  the Nudge Man. I kept trying to guess - absolutely didn't get it. And can I just mention Guy Gregory - another character for me to be a bit in love with!

Another fabulous offering from Nixon, and I can't wait to see what Harry Vaughan and Bonzo (I hope) get up to next!

The Author:

Keith Nixon is a British born writer of crime and historical fiction novels. Originally, he trained as a chemist, but Keith is now in a senior sales role for a high-tech business. Keith currently lives with his family in the North West of England. 

Readers can connect with Keith on various social media platforms:
Web: http://www.keithnixon.co.uk
Twitter: @knntom
Facebook: Keithnixonauthor
Blog: www.keithnixon.co.uk/blog

Savage Games by Peter Boland - Review

To round off my wee focus on all things Savage, I'm made up to be sharing my review of Savage Games by Peter Boland today, which also happens to be publication day! I just loved this book, and it has been one of my reading highlights of this year so far.

You may well have seen the book information in my previous related posts, but in case you missed it, I'm including it as usual.

The Blurb:

A body concealed high up in a tree.
A dark forest that holds many secrets.
One man determined to discover the truth.

Deep in the New Forest, a body is hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in an area known as Dead Maids Wood. When John Savage learns that the body belonged to an old school friend, he sets out to discover who was 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 hidden world, Savage soon discovers that the death of his friend was just the tip of the iceberg...

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

It is published by Adrenalin Books today 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 meeting his wife Shalini and having two awesome children (their words), he was amazed when she sat and actually wrote a book. Then another and another. They were good too. Really good. So he thought, I'll have a go at that.

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 your son, watching America's Next Top Model with your daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.

Thanks so much for following this focus on the John Savage series - I really hope you enjoyed the different posts. Over the next couple of weeks, as well as my blog tour posts, I will be focussing on No Man's Land by Neil Broadfoot and What She Saw Last Night by MJ Cross (Mason Cross) - I hope you'll be able to join me. 

Savage Games by Peter Boland - Q&A with John Savage

On Monday, author Peter Boland shared the inspiration for his protagonist, John Savage, who features in Savage Lies (review here) and Savage Games which is published tomorrow. Both books are fantastic. Today, I'm absolutely thrilled that John Savage himself has stopped by the blog to answer a few questions! But before we move on to that, let me remind you about Savage Games.

The Blurb:

A body concealed high up in a tree.
A dark forest that holds many secrets.
One man determined to discover the truth.

"Basically, I loved everything about this book!" Suze Reviews

Deep in the New Forest, a body is hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in an area known as Dead Maids Wood. When John Savage learns that the body belonged to an old school friend, he sets out to discover who was 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 hidden world, Savage soon discovers that the death of his friend was just the tip of the iceberg...

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

It will be published by Adrenalin Books on 4th April 2019 and is available to pre order here.

Right, moving on:

John, thank you so much for being here! I 'm delighted you've found the time to stop by, and I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's OK?
- Thank you, it's great to be here! Fire away! 

First, the serious stuff!

Please can you tell us a bit about your background.
- I was born in 1960. Grew up in London on the notorious Elmington Estate in Camberwell, where I learned how to fight. You had to, otherwise you wouldn’t last very long. Wasn’t much good at anything else, never bothered with school so I joined the army. Served in Northern Island. I always thought of myself as stupid until I applied to join the SAS. You need to think on your feet. Be smart, resourceful and improvise. Never knew I had it in me until the SAS brought it out.   

And your family?
- None, sad to say. My wife Dawn and my daughter Kelly passed away. Dawn from cancer and Kelly from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. She was in the Royal Engineers. I miss them every day. 

Are you working just now? Do you have a job?
- I’m retired. Thankfully my wife Dawn was very good with money. Invested it well so I’m pretty comfortable, unlike a lot of ex-soldiers who have been let down by the system. If it wasn’t for my wife’s financial nous, I’d be in the same boat.

Tell us about your relationship with Tannaz. How did that come about?
- I met Tannaz when I needed someone with I.T. skills to help me find a missing girl. She’s the smartest person in the room. Smartest person in the postcode. We’ve become really close. It’s a father/daughter thing we have going. She’s got no family either having fled Iran years ago. They didn’t like her lifestyle choices so she made the brave decision to come over here on her own when she was still a teenager. She keeps me sane. I have PTSD due to all the action I’ve seen and hear a voice in head, usually persuading me to kill myself. She doesn’t know this, but her presence keeps the voice away. I call her my kryptonite. Don’t know what I’d do without her. 

You seem drawn to people in need, to help them - why do you think that is?
- I’ve always liked helping people. And I’ve seen what human beings can do to each other. I don’t like bullies, and feel I need to step in. But recently, my desire to help people has definitely been fuelled by guilt for all the people I’ve killed for Queen and country. I guess I’m trying to atone for my sins. 

Do you think you attract trouble?
- I don’t mean to, but I don’t suffer fools lightly and I think my sarcastic sense of humour doesn’t help. It definitely rubs people up the wrong way. 

Your 'investigations' lead you to some pretty dark places - how do you deal with that?
- I’ve seen some pretty awful things in my time. War is as bad as it gets. So I guess it’s another day at the office. If I’m honest, I’m not dealing with it very well at all. I still have a voice in my head, Jeff Perkins as I call him. It doesn’t look like he’s going away any time soon.

Let's lighten things up a bit: -

What music do you listen to?
- The Jam. Best band in the world. But also anything from that era. Post punk, new wave. The Clash. Killing Joke. More recently I like Kasabian, Sleaford Mods and Slaves.

Are you currently reading anything? What?
- SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. I find history fascinating and this explains the empire’s rise to power.

And who is your favourite author?
- Last book I read that really blew me away was All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It’s about a blind girl in World War Two. Amazing how a book can be both harrowing and incredibly beautiful at the same time.

What three things would you take to a desert island?
- An industrial-sized sack of teabags. An Ipod loaded up with my favourite music and a waterproof solar charger to power it. 

And finally, where can we read more about your adventures?
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peter-Boland/e/B00J6P8O08

Thank you so much, John. It's been great to do find out more about you!

I will be finishing my wee focus on John Savage tomorrow when I'll be sharing my review of his latest outing, the fantastic Savage Games. Join me then! 

The Passengers by John Marrs

I am so thrilled to be on the tour today for The Passengers by John Marrs. I have only read one other book by him, which I loved, but the others are all on my TBR pile, and I have only heard good things about them.  And the premise for this book was so good I couldn't say no! Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton (who appears in all John's books) for inviting me on to the tour, and the publishers for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

'Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. Another savagely clever near future thriller' Cara Hunter, bestselling author of CLOSE TO HOME

The new gripping page-turning thriller for fans of BLACK MIRROR from the bestselling author of HER LAST MOVE and THE ONE - soon to be a major Netflix series.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife - and parents of two - who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?

The Passengers was published as an eBook on 31st March 2019 by Ebury Digital. You can purchase it from here.

My Review:

I have been so lucky this year. I have read about 26, 27 great books so far and know that there maybe three which will feature in my end of year highlights. Well, with The Passengers, I can make that four. Original, bold, controversial in places and beautifully written, it's just fabulous.

Marrs has written a number of books, all standalones. Before this, I had only read one other of his books, When You Disappeared (formerly entitled The Wronged Sins), which I really enjoyed (still to be reviewed here). In it, he created a character that I hated so much I still get angry thinking about him, so I knew going into this one what a strong writer Marrs is.

The Passengers is set in the near future and fully automatic driverless cars have been introduced. A top secret jury meets one week out of every month to decide where the fault lies with any car accidents. It consists of four regular members and a nominated member of the public. Libby is not a fan of driverless cars and doesn't want to be there, but is determined to hold her own in the sessions.

Whilst the jury is in session, 8 seemingly random cars are hacked by 'The Hacker', and forced into a collision course with each other. The jury members, and the general public, have the power to change things, by voting for who should live and who should die, via social media.

The advance of technology fascinates me and terrifies me in equal measure and this book plays on those fears. When the cars are hacked, the Passengers have absolutely no control over what's going to happen. Marrs also highlights our obsession with social media, as we see votes, articles, and quizzes pop up almost immediately regarding the fate of the Passengers. And he touches on prejudices that really shouldn't exist in society, but still do.

Almost every character has some kind of secret, and I never really knew how to feel about them, which was brilliant. Libby was The only one I was sure about, and for me she was like an anchor in a crazy, but all too plausible, story. 

I really can't tell you any more about the story because it's a treat you should discover yourself. As it's a standalone you don't need to have read his other works, although there are references to The One (which will be moving up my TBR list). It's brilliantly, tightly written with surprises all over the place. The characters are beautifully drawn, and the claustrophobic setting of both the jury room and the car interiors are wonderfully described.

It's original and brave and more than a little frightening, set in a plausible future, touching on the advance of technology, the power of social media and mob rule. But it's very human and emotional too and shows how little we need to know about people before we make judgements on them. It still has me thinking about it says after finishing it. Can't recommend the Passengers highly enough - go read it!

The Author:

John Marrs is a former journalist from Northamptonshire, England, who spent 25 years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines.

He wrote for publications including The Guardian’s Guide and Guardian Online; OK! Magazine; Total Film; Empire; Q; GT; The Independent; Star; Reveal; Company; Daily Star and News of the World’s Sunday Magazine.

He recently gave up his job to write novels full time. His first car at the age of seventeen was a three-door, Ford Escort with a Batman sticker in the rear windscreen. He thought the sticker was cool at the time. 

Author Social Media Links:

Follow  John on Twitter @johnmarrs1, Facebook @johnmarrsauthor, Instagram: @johnmarrs.author, and
Website: johnmarrsauthor.co.uk

Savage Games by Peter Boland - Guest Post

Regular visitors to my blog may recall that one of my standout books of 2018 was Savage Lies, the first in a new series featuring John Savage, by Peter Boland. If you check out my review, you'll see that it blew me away. So I'm thrilled that the follow up, Savage Games, is published on Thursday of this week, and I will be sharing my review on the same day.

John Savage is not your average hero and I was curious as to  where the inspiration for him came from. So I'm absolutely  delighted to welcome fab author Peter Boland to the blog to tell us about it. And it's such a brilliant and poignant piece!


Why I turned to a life of crime.

"I’d always been interested in thrillers, especially the action and crime variety. The only thing that put me off writing them was a lack of confidence. I was always in awe of thriller authors. How did they manage to weave plots more twisty than an eighties perm? I could never do that. So I stuck with writing my YA sci-fi space opera, The Spiral Arm, believing I just didn’t have the brain capacity for thrillers. 

After its release, The Spiral Arm series was well-received and gained small but loyal following. However, by episode five I could tell it wasn’t going to sell. Reluctantly, I made the decision to switch to a different genre, taking a chance on writing a thriller. I felt really bad about leaving my Spiral Arm series hanging in mid-air, especially as I had the whole series mapped out. But everyone has to earn a crust, right? So thrillers it was.

But what sort of thriller? I’d always loved Lee Child and his character Jack Reacher. The books are so addictive. Probably the only ones I would read while walking around the house attempting to do other things like make the kids’ tea (very badly, I might add). Literally unputdownable. I knew I wanted to do something like that. A vigilante, but I didn’t want a carbon copy of Reacher or all the other lone-wolf-type heroes. No, He needed to be different. He needed to be British for a start. And he needed to drink tea. Lots of it. But what would he be like?

Inspiration came in the form of a movie. I watched an amazing film called I, Daniel Blake, and instantly fell in love with the character. If you haven’t seen it, it’s brilliant, and is about people stuck in the benefits system. So Daniel Blake really inspired me. A decent guy, older, had lost his wife, and just wanted to help people and do the right thing. He was vulnerable too. And had poor health. 

I don’t like the way older people are treated in this country. So I loved the idea of making an older guy who could kick the asses of those much younger. I still wanted him to be vulnerable, though. I wanted him to have some mental health issues, because so many of us suffer from that nowadays, especially our ex-servicemen. 

The other thing I was adamant about is I wanted humour in it. Most, if not all thrillers I read are deadly serious and the protagonists are more like superman, invulnerable and infallible. Thing is, life’s not like that. People are stupid and muck things up. Also, Savage is ex-SAS. Yes, it’s an elite force but they’re also a bunch of blokes. And whenever you get blokes together they take the piss out of each other. So I gave Savage a sharp, acidic tongue. 

There’s also a bit of my dear old dad in Savage. A carpenter by trade, the guy could wield a saw like a scalpel, and always had a cup of tea in his hand and a joke on his lips. He was a real eccentric. Worked on building sites all his life, never drank alcohol, cycled everywhere and sung opera in the shower. Everyone loved him for his generosity and warmth, a warmth that meant even complete strangers took a shine to him. But my mum, my sister and I knew him better. His jolliness hid a terrible childhood of abuse he suffered when he was evacuated at a very young age during the war. Like Savage, a darkness dwelt in him, which he buried deep down, and kept well hidden with humour. 

I lost my dad to cancer several years ago, and miss him every day. But one of the nicest things about writing is that I can keep him alive by putting a bit of his personality into my character, John Savage. "

Thanks so much, Peter! It's always good to find out more about a character, where they came from and how they were formed. For me, at least, it helps shape them in my mind.


Here's a wee bit about Peter:

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 meeting his wife Shalini and having two awesome children (their words), he was amazed when she sat and actually wrote a book. Then another and another. They were good too. Really good. So he thought, I'll have a go at that.

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 your son, watching America's Next Top Model with your daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.


And here's the info on Savage Games:

A body concealed high up in a tree.
A dark forest that holds many secrets.
One man determined to discover the truth.

"Basically, I loved everything about this book!" Suze Reviews

Deep in the New Forest, a body is hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in an area known as Dead Maids Wood. When John Savage learns that the body belonged to an old school friend, he sets out to discover who was 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 hidden world, Savage soon discovers that the death of his friend was just the tip of the iceberg...

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

It will be published by Adrenalin Books on 4th April 2019 and is available to pre order here.

Do come back on Wednesday 3rd April when none other than John Savage himself will be stopping by the blog to answer some of my questions. I can't wait! Hope to see you back here then. 

The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl (translated by Don Bartlett)

It's an absolute pleasure to be taking part in this blog tour. I have not read any of the previous books by this author, and I don't usually read books set in the past. However, the blurb intrigued me, and I know the quality of books which come out of the Orenda stable, so decided to give this one a go. And I 'm so glad I did! Huge thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me to take part and to Karen Sullivan at Orenda for my review copy.

The Blurb: 

In Oslo in 1942, Jewish courier Ester is betrayed, narrowly 

avoiding arrest by the Gestapo. In great haste, she escapes to Sweden whilst the rest of her family is deported to Auschwitz. In Stockholm, Ester meets the resistance hero, Gerhard Falkum, who has left his little daughter and fled both the Germans and allegations that he murdered his wife, Åse, Ester’s childhood best friend. A relationship develops between them, but ends abruptly when Falkum dies in a fire.

And yet, twenty-five years later, Falkum shows up in Oslo. He 

wants to reconnect with his daughter Turid. But where has he been, and what is the real reason for his return? Ester stumbles across information that forces her to look closely at her past, and to revisit her war-time training to stay alive… 

Written with Dahl’s trademark characterisation and clever 

plotting, The Courier sees one of Norway’s most critically acclaimed authors at his best, as he takes on one of the most horrifying periods of modern history. With its sophisticated 

storytelling and elegant prose, this stunning and compelling 

wartime thriller is reminiscent of the writing of John Le Carré and William Boyd.

The Courier was published by Orenda Books on 21st March 2019. You can purchase it from Orenda, Waterstones and Amazon. 

My Review: 

I really didn't know anything about Norway's involvement in the Second World War or the persecution of Norwegian Jews, so this book was fascinating. Whilst it is fiction, it has clearly been well researched. 

The story opens and closes in 2015, but the main part jumps between 1942 and 1967, and primarily features the same three characters - Ester, Gerhard and Sverre. I liked the switches between the two different times, as we meet these people twenty-five years apart, and I read the book pretty much in one sitting. 

Ester was a fantastic character. A young woman who obviously believes passionately in doing what is right, and is active in the Resistance, putting herself in danger. She sees her father arrested and their house taken by the Germans, and is already apart from the rest of her family. Shortly afterwards, she herself is almost caught but manages to escape to Sweden, with no news of her family. This obviously has a profound effect on her, but she continues to work with the Resistance. She is strong, passionate and determined, and easy for the reader to like. 

Gerhard and Sverre were different. I was never entirely sure about either of them - my thoughts changed as the story progressed. But all three characters, and the supporting cast are all exquisitely drawn - the characterisation is superb. 

This brings me on to the scene setting. I was a little thrown initially when the story was written in the present tense, but soon got used to it. Dahl writes incredibly descriptive scenes, often using short staccato sentences to include the smallest details. The result is a rich, character driven text, and it felt like I was there, watching - I could picture everything and everyone in my mind. It's screaming out to be made into a film.

The Courier was not my normal kind of read - it's a historical slow burner. But it's so beautifully written, well paced with wonderful characters and with an ending I didn't see coming. I'm so pleased I took the opportunity to read it, and look forward to reading more by this author. 

The Author:

One of the fathers of the Nordic Noir genre, Kjell Ola Dahl was born in 1958 in Gjøvik. He made his debut in 1993, and has since published eleven novels, the most prominent of which is a series of police procedurals cum psychological thrillers featuring investigators Gunnarstranda and Frølich. In 2000 he won the Riverton Prize for The Last Fix and he won both the prestigious Brage and Riverton Prizes for The Courier in 2015. His work has been published in 14 countries, and he lives in Oslo. 

Heartlands by Kerry Watts

Having enjoyed a previous standalone book, The Reckoning (see my review here), by Kerry Watts, I was excited to see this, the beginning of a new series featuring Jessie Blake. Huge thanks to Noelle Holten for inviting me to join the tour and to Bookoutre for my review copy which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb:

Call it mother’s intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, that’s when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone. 

Twenty years ago, Sophie Nicoll never came home from school. Days later her body was found in a shallow grave on a remote farm a few miles from her hometown. Two boys from her school were found guilty. The press called the boys evil. Sophie’s family wanted them dead. The judge promised they’d never walk free.

Two decades later and schoolgirl Shannon Ross has vanished from a small town in the Scottish Highlands.

It’s Detective Jessie Blake’s first big case since she joined Perthshire Police. Having recently arrived from London, Jessie lives in fear of people finding out about her past and her reasons for moving north.

When Shannon’s body is found in the river on the outskirts of Inverlochty, Jessie discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. As the small community begins to crack under pressure, people begin to point fingers. And soon, the big secrets hidden within the small town are revealed – with devastating consequences.

This shocking crime thriller set in the dramatic Scottish Highlands will have you reading well into the night. If you like LJ Ross, Cara Hunter or Robert Bryndza, you will absolutely love this.

Heartlands was published by Bookoutre on 21st March 2019 and you can purchase it here. 

My Review:

This is the second book I've read by this author, and is the beginning of a new series featuring Detective Jessie Blake. It's a very promising start.

There is a shocking opener in the prologue set in the past before we jump forward to the present day in Inverlochty. From then on, the story flips between now, and the older timeline, which begins in 1996 and moves steadily forwards until it crosses the newer story. That was such an OMG moment for me, I actually exclaimed out loud! A genuine shock that I absolutely didn't see coming.

There are lots of characters and I really had to pay attention early on to get to know everyone, and where they fitted in.

Obviously, Jessie is the standout character here. Recently promoted, this is her first case as senior office. A man with mental health difficulties harms himself, but the blood of a teenage girl is also found in his house. And she hasn't been seen since entering his house. When the police speak to him, he says the 'voices made him do it'. But what have they made him do?

Jessie is dogged and determined. And resolute about doing the right thing. But she has her own demons in a dark back story, which is starting to be teased out and looks to have legs to run and run. Her sidekick Dylan is a great guy - solid and dependable and just perfect for Jessie to bounce her ideas off.

There is a large cast of supporting characters, some more likeable than others. Standouts for me were Jason, the missing girl's father, and her young uncle, Ben. The anxiety and anguish that everyone, but especially these two, suffers exquisitely described.

The pacing is fabulous. We learn little bits of the story as we go, building up to the shocking ending. And a wee hint that there might be more to come about Jessie's personal story. A brilliant beginning to a new series, with a great protagonist. I'm already looking forward to the next book! 

The Author: 

Kerry Watts was born and grew up in a small town in the East of Scotland where she still lives today. She is always writing and carries a little notebook and pen with her wherever she goes because at her age ideas need to be captured before they disappear. 

Kerry specialises in crime fiction because she enjoys pushing the boundaries of what it is to be human. The nature versus nurture debate.

Author Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Denmanisfab