Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Suspects by Jodie Lawrance

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Books n All Promotions Blog Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE SUSPECTS (Detective Helen Carter Book #3) by Jodie Lawrance.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

SHE’S OUT OF UNIFORM BUT SHE’S STILL IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

Discover a thrilling new Scottish crime series starring Detective Helen Carter.

Detective Helen Carter needs a break. Instead, she’s going head-to-head with notorious cop killer Jimmy Osbourne.

Eight years ago, he pulled off the perfect heist and fled to Spain, leaving behind a trail of carnage. But not a shred of evidence to implicate him.

Now he’s back in Edinburgh. But why? Helen has her suspicions.

Within days, a mystery jewel thief surfaces on CCTV. A shooter hits a seedy back-alley.

The suspects are piling up, but Helen knows Jimmy is behind them. All her instincts tell her he’s guilty. She’s watching him. But he has eyes on her too . . .

Can she take him down before he gets to her?

###

MEET THE DETECTIVE

Detective Sergeant Helen Carter is used to getting a rough time of it at work. As one of the few women officers around, she has heard it all before: she’s only there as a box-ticking exercise, or she only got the job because of her father, who was a detective inspector. But she can handle it. She knows she can hold her own against any man on the force. The only thing she can’t handle, however, are the constant fights with her fiancé, Ted.

THE SETTING

Edinburgh CID in the 1970s is on the third-floor of the ugly, modern concrete lump that is the police station. On a sunny day, you can look right out to Arthur’s Seat. And on any day, you can see spotty-faced, bored teenagers coming and going from the local high school across the road. With its historic cobbled streets and fair share of deprivation, Edinburgh police are up against every type of criminal imaginable.

DETECTIVE HELEN CARTER SERIES

Book 1: THE UNIFORM

Book 2: THE EVIDENCE

Book 3: THE SUSPECTS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58741763-the-suspects?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=soclZZZbhf&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE SUSPECTS (Detective Helen Carter Book #3) by Jodie Lawrance is the third Scottish police procedural crime story featuring female detective, Helen Carter in the mid 1970’s. While all the books in this series can be read as standalone crime investigations, the characters continue to be more fully fleshed and interconnected as the series progresses.

Eight years ago, Jimmy Osbourne pulled off a heist that would have been perfect except during the escape he killed a police officer and seriously injured the officer’s partner who is out for justice. Jimmy escaped to Spain leaving no evidence behind.

Now Jimmy is back in Edinburgh and Helen Carter is assigned the case. Helen is working to discover Jimmy’s reason for returning as well as finding any evidence to finally convict him.

This is another well written addition to this series, where Helen’s dogged determination and investigation skills are what solve the crimes since this series is set before DNA and other scientific evidence is used. Helen is a character facing all the sexual discrimination of her time in the police force and so she works to be the best at what she does. I did find this addition to the series was a little more difficult to get moving at first, but once everyone was sorted it began to move at a faster pace and kept me intrigued to the satisfying conclusion. All the secondary characters are becoming more fully fleshed and realistic for their time period. I am looking forward to seeing were Helen goes from here.

I can recommend this Scottish police crime thriller book and the entire series!

***

Author Bio

Jodie graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2018 with an MA in Creative Writing. When not writing, she is also an actress and has appeared in a variety of television, stage and film. 

She’s also a contributor for BBC The Social. 

Social Media Links

AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

Book Tour/Feature Post and Audiobook Review: The Ninth Season by Deborah Serani

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for the audiobook edition of THE NINTH SESSION by Deborah Serani.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and good luck on the giveaway!

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Book Description

An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that brings a unique mix of psychotherapy and sign language and Coda culture. Just when you think you have it figured out, think again!

Dr. Alicia Reese takes on a new patient. Lucas Ferro suffers with crippling anxiety, and as sessions progress, he begins to share the reasons why he’s struggling. As Ferro’s narrative becomes more menacing, Reese finds herself wedged between the cold hard frame of professional ethics and the integrity of personal truth. And, finally, when Ferro reveals his secrets, Reese learns how far she’s willing to go, willing to risk and willing to lose to do the right thing.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49603965-the-ninth-session?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ILXubAFSfy&rank=1

The Ninth Session Audiobook Details:

Genre: Suspense Thriller
Published by: TouchPoint Press
Publication Date: September 26th 2019
Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Visit Audible to listen to a sample!

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My Audiobook Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE NINTH SESSION by Deborah Serani is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller written and read in a unique style. The plot is revealed in a series of psychological therapy sessions, patient notes and self-reflection. I listened to the Audible audiobook version performed by the author herself and was captivated.

Psychologist Alicia Reese is scheduled to meet a new patient and finds him having an anxiety/panic attack in her office restroom. Lucas Ferro tells Alicia he has tried therapy before, but it never seems to work. With each new session, Lucas’s revelations become more menacing, and Alicia will have to choose between carrying on with his sessions, her professional ethics and/or doing the “right” thing.

I loved the way this story progressed and the unique way it was presented. Alicia is an interesting protagonist. Ms. Serani integrates Alicia’s history of having grown up in a CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) family, her still present grief at the death of her husband and her professional life all together in a memorable character. The plot follows Alicia’s sessions with Lucas and uncovering his history and secrets. As each surprise or twist is revealed, the threat and tension levels increase the pace to a realistic climax. This is a short standalone that I did not want to stop listening to.

I enjoyed Ms. Serani’s narration. It was clear with a steady pace. I was never confused with which character was speaking during her narration. I also enjoyed that during the “Note” sections of the story, the narration had a scratching noise in the background as if Alicia was truly writing while you are listening.

I highly recommend this psychological thriller!

***

Author Bio

Deborah Serani, Psy.D. is psychologist in practice 30 years. She is also a senior professor at Adelphi University and has been published in academic journals on the subjects of depression and trauma. Dr. Serani is a go-to expert for psychological issues. Her interviews can be found at ABC News, CNN, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Reader’s Digest, The Washington Post and USA Today, and affiliate radio station programs at CBS and NPR, just to name a few. She is also a TEDx speaker and has lectured nationally and internationally. Dr. Serani has worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – where a recurring character, Judge D. Serani, was named for her. Dr. Serani is an award-winning author, writing about psychological topics in many genres.

Social Media Links

www.DrDeborahSerani.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Twitter – @DeborahSerani
Facebook – @Dr. Deborah Serani

& Find out what’s new on Instagram – #deborahserani

Purchase Links 

Amazon  

Audible  

Goodreads

***

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f24bf84b754/?

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Evidence by Jodie Lawrance

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Books n All Promotions Blog Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE EVIDENCE (Detective Helen Carter Book #2) by Jodie Lawrance.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

***

Book Blurb

SHE’S OUT OF UNIFORM BUT SHE’S STILL IN THE LINE OF FIRE.

Introducing the stunning follow-up in a thrilling new Scottish crime series starring Detective Helen Carter.

A young barmaid is found dead. She was murdered on her way home from work to look after her sick son.


Then another woman, Moira McKenzie, goes missing. All that’s left behind is a pool of blood and shattered glass.

Someone is terrorizing the women of Edinburgh and Detective Helen Carter means to stop them.

Helen is certain that Moira’s library records hold the key to her disappearance. But now she must convince her boss, Detective Inspector Jack Craven. And he doesn’t listen to her at the best of times . . .

Then another woman who suffered a similar attack to the murdered barmaid comes forward.

Helen knows the race is on to find Moira alive.

###

MEET THE DETECTIVE

Detective Sergeant Helen Carter is used to getting a rough time of it at work. As one of the few women officers around, she has heard it all before: she’s only there as a box-ticking exercise, or she only got the job because of her father, who was a detective inspector. But she can handle it. She knows she can hold her own against any man on the force. The only thing she can’t handle, however, are the constant fights with her fiancé, Ted.

THE SETTING

Edinburgh CID in the 1970s is on the third-floor of the ugly, modern concrete lump that is the police station. On a sunny day, you can look right out to Arthur’s Seat. And on any day, you can see spotty-faced, bored teenagers coming and going from the local high school across the road. With its historic cobbled streets and fair share of deprivation, Edinburgh police are up against every type of criminal imaginable.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58669501-the-evidence?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7AU64G2Rbw&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE EVIDENCE (Detective Helen Carter Book #2) by Jodie Lawrance is the second Scottish police procedural crime story featuring female detective, Helen Carter in the mid 1970’s. This book starts closely after the story in the first book ends. This second book can be read as a standalone, but having read the first book, the characters are becoming more three dimensional.

Detective Helen Carter is called to the scene of the grisly murder of barmaid Tina French on her way home from work. While she and her colleagues begin working this case, an abused woman, Moira McKenzie is reported missing by her husband. Helen finds the signs of a terrible struggle in Moira’s home with a lot of blood, but no victim.

Helen is still physically recovering from her last CID case as she looks for a killer terrorizing the women of Edinburgh.

I really enjoy reading crime books set in the 1970’s. Helen has to be smarter and more tenacious than any of her male contemporaries being the first female detective in her CID unit. The books are character driven with intricate red herrings and clues due to the lack of so many scientific advancements that police rely on today. It made me cringe, knowing what we know today about investigations, when a fellow detective smoked a cigarette at a crime scene. All the characters are realistically portrayed and their personal lives are quite messy which only makes me want to learn more.

I recommend this throw back Scottish police procedural crime series.

***

Author Bio

Jodie graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2018 with an MA in Creative Writing. When not writing, she is also an actress and has appeared in a variety of television, stage and film. 

She’s also a contributor for BBC The Social. 

Social Media Links

AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: False Witness by Karin Slaughter

Book Description

AN ORDINARY LIFE

Leigh Coulton has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She has a good job as a defence attorney, a daughter doing well in school, and even her divorce is relatively civilised – her life is just as unremarkable as she’d always hoped it would be.

HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST

But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood which was far from average… a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and finally torn apart by a devastating act of violence.

BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP

Then a case lands on her desk – defending a wealthy man accused of rape. It’s the highest profile case she’s ever been given – a case which could transform her career, if she wins. But when she meets the accused, she realises that it’s no coincidence that he’s chosen her as his attorney. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he knows what happened twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades running.

AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT

If she can’t get him acquitted, she’ll lose much more than the case. The only person who can help her is her younger, estranged sister Calli, the last person Leigh would ever want to ask for help. But suddenly she has no choice…

***

Elise’s Thoughts

False Witness by Karin Slaughter shows why she is one of the best for writing fabulous characters. This story has two sisters’ childhoods tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and ultimately destroyed by a brutal act of violence as well as one of the sister’s tragedy of addiction. She was portrayed with empathy and grace by the author. This story is brutal, honest, real, and heartbreaking at times involving issues of rape, drug use, murder, and abusive violence. 

Kudos to Slaughter for balancing the strong relationship between the sisters. Readers will grow attached to the sisters Leigh, Callie and Leigh’s husband, Walter, as he becomes involved to help them. Each of the sisters have taken a different route through life. Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life after being sexually harassed as a child babysitter. She’s an up-and-coming defense attorney at a prestigious law firm in Atlanta, who would do anything for her sixteen-year-old daughter Maddy, while managing to successfully coparent through a pandemic after an amicable separation from her husband Walter. The other sister, Callie, is a drug addict, but sympathetically humanized. She was a child gymnast and cheerleader, who after suffering a broken neck, had constant back pain. Her childhood experience involved being groomed and regularly sexually assaulted by a violent pedophile while babysitting his 10-year-old son, and turning her into a heroin addict.

As Leigh is asked by her boss to defend a serial rapist, she is confronted with her past. When she meets the accused face-to-face, Andrew, she realizes that it’s no coincidence that he’s specifically asked for her to represent him. They know each other. Leigh wonders how much he knows about what happened over twenty years ago. The only person who can help her is Callie, the younger, estranged sister. With the life-shattering truth in danger of being revealed, she has no choice to involve Callie. The shocking twist at the end of the book will keep readers engrossed.

This complex plot has as its central theme, the heart of the relationship between Callie and Leigh. Both these heroines are believable, flawed, and courageous.  The highly intense themes, along with the horrible graphic actions of the evil doers, makes for a riveting read.

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Elise’s Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why write about the pandemic?

Karin Slaughter:  I started with a character, Leigh Collier, who I thought about three years ago.  I knew I was going to write a story during the pandemic.  When the book was finished the vaccines came, so I knew I wanted to incorporate the virus into the story.  It was fun and challenging for me as an author.  I tried to make Covid exist, but not as an intricate part of the story.  I made sure not to politicize it. 

EC:  There is a difference between the two sisters?

KS:  Some have the luxury to keep themselves as safe as possible and some do not.  To highlight this, I used the two sisters, Callie and Leigh.  Callie always had to work.  Because of her addiction she had to be on the streets.  Having a disability made her vulnerable. 

EC:  Why the addiction angle?

KS:  I wanted to humanize someone struggling with addiction.  She had an emotional, mental, and physical addiction.  Hopefully, I showed how we are really failing in how to handle addicts and help them.  Callie figured out a way to help herself through maintenance doses.  If only addicts could get levels that could help them function in society and eventually wean themselves off of the drugs.  Instead of punishing the people into the ground we should look at ways people could get help. 

EC:  Drug addicts?

KS:  The personality of the person must be considered.  If someone is actually a good person who is controlled by addiction, they are still decent.  If someone is a horrible jerk, addiction will definitely amplify it.  We spend trillions of dollars on the war on drugs, which has failed miserably.  Imagine if we spent that money on helping low-income students get better Internet, classrooms, schoolbooks, nutritional meals, and safe schools.  This would be more useful.

EC:  How would you describe Leigh?

KS:  She experienced a horrific trauma with her sister when they both were younger.  She is now a successful lawyer.  But Leigh is a control freak, compartmentalizes people, never likes to feel powerless, and is a survivor. She presents a front to hide her guilt and deep vulnerability. 

EC:  How would you describe the bad guy, Andrew?

KS:  My grandmother used to say, ‘if someone wants to be bad, they will find any excuse to be bad.’ He is definitely an illustration of that.  Andrew is someone looking for a reason to justify the bad things he wants to do.  He thinks he should be able to do whatever he wants in life because he is entitled to do it.  He is cruel and likes to terrorize people.  When I wrote that fish scene with him, I laid a foundation for his personality. 

EC:  Speaking of fish, there is some humor?

KS:  I love puns and love to be silly.  It was delightful time for me to make up all that stuff, such as “Anne Chovey, Genghis Karp, Mr. Dar-Sea, and James Pond.”  I spent far more time than I care to admit on this.

EC:  There is a quote about prosecutors and judges caring more about optics than justice.  Please explain.

KS:  Many prosecutors only take cases they think they can win.  They plead out everything else.  Many overcharge to get someone to plead out to a lesser charge.  As voters we need to look at how the justice system runs.  For example, women in prison are limited to the number of tampons and pads they can have.

EC:  There is also a quote about losing someone.  Please explain.

KS:  You are referring to this one, “Your relationship with a person doesn’t end when they die.  It only gets stronger.”  Someone told me that after I lost my 9th grade teacher who I consider my mentor.  She died about five years ago from cancer.  I had all these memories of her.  I remember our relationship and how important she was to me.  The choices I make in the present are based on what she told me in the past.

EC:  Your next book?

KS:  It will have a murder and be out this time next year.  A couple of characters from a previous stand alone will be back.

THANK YOU!!

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick

Book Description

Beauty and glamour meet deception and revenge in this electrifying novel by New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick.

Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly goes on a health retreat at an exclusive spa and disappears without another word. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and she is the only one who can track her down. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. The agency brings in a partner and bodyguard for her, but she doesn’t get the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected.

Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and Lyra can’t figure out why he was chosen as her partner. But it soon becomes clear when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina.

The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn’t the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Lady Has A Past by Amanda Quick (the pen name for Jayne Krentz) is another winner. This historical novel explores California in the 1930s with riveting characters and a suspenseful mystery.

The plot has private investigator Raina Kirk disappearing after spending a night with her boyfriend Luther Pell.  Her apprentice, Lyra Brazier, Luther, and his private investigator Simon Cage realize that Raina has traveled to the plush spa resort of Labyrinth Springs Hotel.  Simon and Lyra team up, posing as a honeymoon couple, and check in to the hotel to try to find Raina. They become suspicious of those working and staying at the hotel, discovering that the health spa is a façade for kidnappings and ransoms.  Both must watch each other’s back and race with time to find Raina before it is too late.

Lyra is a great character with an uncanny intuitive nature.  She is fearless, smart, and works well under pressure. She realizes that she and Simon make a good team considering he senses emotions from objects.  Although he gives off an aura of nerdiness, he is nothing of the kind and is very good at connecting the dots.

Readers will enjoy not one, but two relationships in the book.  Raina and Luther’s feelings about each other are explored, while Lyra and Simon realize they care for each other deeply.  Besides the double romance people will be treated to a gripping mystery, tidbits of 1930s California, and very captivating characters.

***

Elise’s Author Interview

 Elise Cooper: Why 1930s?

Amanda Quick: The whole fantasy side of California at that time was sold to the public by the movie studios.  I have in my head the quick lines that were in the movies and the brilliantly written plots.  I love that fast repertoire and the quick wit. This suits my style because I am a very dialogue driven writer.  Everybody has a sense of what the 1930s California setting looks like.  They are iconic.

EC:  Did you do research?

AQ:  I enjoy going through books and newspapers about that time-period, and picking up odds and ends, bits and pieces. I stumbled across what happened in the spas and cosmetic industry that were quite the rage in the 1930s.  These made perfect settings for a murder.  I got an interesting question in my mind, looked for an answer, and then one thing led to another.

EC:  You explore the backstory on Raina?

AQ:  A lot of people including myself have been curious about her.  I have never explained her background until this book where it becomes an issue.  She wants a sense of belonging after being in an abusive marriage. After coming to Burning Cove she wanted to leave the past behind.  Raina must resolve her past to be free to really love Luther. 

EC:  How would you describe Lyra, Raina’s apprentice?

AQ: She is the siter of Vivian, the heroine of Close Up. Lyra is optimistic, smart, curious, and genuinely interested in people who respond and speak with her.  She is also calm, sophisticated, and intuitive.  Although coming from wealth and society she is now looking to be a private investigator.  Basically, she is a half full person who is positive with good energy. When needed for the investigation she played a role of being dipsy, shallow, arrogant, and self-centered, but this is not really her.

EC: How would you describe Simon?

AQ:  He was raised as an orphan and was shattered by the father figure who raised him. He is lonely, in control, and responsible. Simon has a talent for sensing emotions and finding energy left behind.

EC:  How would you describe the relationship?

AQ:  Simon considered Lyra unpredictable.  They had to learn to trust each other to survive.  Because of his past he is afraid to have a close relationship.  Lyra is looking for someone who can accept her true personality and not see her as a society girl. 

EC:  What about the relationship between Luther and Raina?

AQ: They both have secrets they must give up, and then they need to understand how those secrets played into their past life. Physically they are a couple, but emotionally they tip toe around each other.  In this story they make a giant step and move forward in their connection.

EC:  You delve into the psychic, but it seems very believable?

AQ: There is nothing supernatural about it, but an extension of intuition on Lyra’s part.  People who do not like reading about the supernatural are OK with the psychic element in the book.  It is just one step beyond having it feel real.

EC:  How about the setting?

AQ:  It is a fake Palm Springs.  In the 1930s, the Hollywood crowd discovered it.  It had a resort atmosphere.  There were therapeutic springs. 

EC:  What about your next books?

AQ:  Out in November is the totally futuristic book I write as Jayne Castle. It has the Dust Bunnies, pets of the human inhabitants of the planet Harmony. I think they captured the hearts of many fans of this series, and I would not be surprised to see on my tombstone “the creator of the Dust Bunnies.” The book’s title is Vuild Voss.

The Jayne Krentz book is titled Lightning In A Mirror and comes out in January.  It is the third book in the “Fog Lake Trilogy.” It is about a mysterious government project involving psychic experiments.

The Amanda Quick book comes out next May.  I am working on it now.  There will be a new set of characters except for the core characters Raina and Luther. The hero and heroine from previous books could make a cameo appearance but I do not repeat them as characters because their story is settled.

THANK YOU!!

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Book Review: Tears of Fire by Gordon Bickerstaff

Hi, everyone!

Today I am very excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TEARS OF FIRE (A Lambeth Group Thriller Book #6) by Gordon Bickerstaff.

Below you will find an author Q&A, a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Author Q&A

Q. It is book 6 in a series. Do I need to read the previous books?

A. No. All the books are standalone stories. The series has recurring characters and in each book there is enough background to allow the reader to understand them.

Q. In a sentence. What type of thriller is it?

A. It take inspiration from James Bond & Jason Bourne action & adventure stories but with an awesome woman leading the way.

Q. Why do you write about crime, spies and international espionage?’

A. I love to read them. Many characters in crime novels are larger-than-life dangerous. As a reader, I like to be drawn into their threatening spheres. It’s like being up really close to the flame knowing you won’t be burned.

Q. Have childhood or other experiences contributed to the story?

A. Every book contains a piece of the writer and or family. For example in the Tears of Fire, some scenes take place on a paddle steamer Wensley. I have childhood memories of being on the ocean-sailing paddle steamer Waverley, which still sails today on the route depicted in the book.

Q. Is Tears of Fire, different from the other books?

No. Tears of Fire sticks to the same formula of scientist Gavin and special forces operative Zoe risking their necks to bring down determined and ruthless criminals and terrorists.

Q. Where do the core ideas come from?

A. Stories in the Press. Investigative journalists dig into a lot of murky and dangerous activities. Often taking great personal risks to expose the truth about incidents and events. I am constantly amazed by the inhumanity they uncover.

***

Book Description

Two serial killers have been getting away with murder for years. For them, it’s a well-paid hobby while they bide their time. It’s about to stop when everything slots into place for them to leap to the next level. Payback for the people who killed their parents.

Lambeth Group investigator, Gavin Shawlens, is on their trail. But all is not as it seems and he is pushed way out of his depth when the killers turn on his family. Gavin’s Lambeth Group partner, Zoe Tampsin, is cut off from him and fighting her own battle to stay alive.

They need to connect but Zoe will face an impossible choice. Stop the killers before they pull off the most audacious murder that will shock the world and change it forever. Or, rescue Gavin’s family from the jaws of evil.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40527701-tears-of-fire?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GmvayxTzTS&rank=2

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

TEARS OF FIRE (A Lambeth Group Thriller Book #6) by Gordon Bickerstaff is another edge-of-your-seat, compelling, fast-paced Lambeth Group thriller. Mr. Bickerstaff continually surprises me with his ability to make me cringe at the methods used by his antagonists to kill people and the excitement as Gavin and Zoe work together to defeat them. These books can be read as standalones with each espionage/crime plot being unique, but the main characters continually build their relationships with each new story. I believe they should be read in order of publication.

British Special Forces Captain Zoe Tampsin is fighting to stay alive and not protecting biochemist Gavin Shawlens of the secretive Lambeth Group as this book opens. While Gavin is pulled into an insurance investigation through the Lambeth Group because of his special studies in enzymes, but his simple investigation is not what it appears to be.

Government corruption, sanctioned revenge, twin Korean psychotic killers who want to start a war on the Korean peninsula and a nursing home with an illegal side hustle all come together in a race against time in which Zoe must uncover an intricate plot, stop the use of a dirty bomb in Scotland and once again race to save Gavin’s life.

I was not able to put this book down! Once again Mr. Bickerstaff had me hooked from page one. The fast-paced plot does not let up as Zoe is fighting one obstacle after another when she could have walked away. Zoe is an extremely strong protagonist that I enjoy cheering on. Gavin is once again brilliant in his professional field, but not so smart or brave when in the field for the Lambeth Group, but I like the added insight into Gavin’s past that influences his present behavior and it helps to make him more relatable. The secondary characters who aid Zoe and Gavin are fully fleshed, strong and came through when needed. The evil characters are truly despicable and scary. The plot will keep you turning the pages with plenty of twists and surprises right up to a very close call of a climax.

I highly recommend this Lambeth Group thriller and all the books in this series!

***

Excerpt

Zoe pushed onto her knees, reached for the hoe, drew back, and threw it like a spear. It crashed into the back of his neck, ramming his head into the thin glass panel on the door, which shattered. He squealed, turned around, and jerked a glass shard out of his neck. Blood spurted in every direction as he fell to the floor.

Brooke ran to his body and repeatedly rammed the heel of her bare foot into his groin.

Zoe pushed onto her feet, steadied her stance, and stumbled before she pulled on Brooke’s arm. ‘Brooke! Brooke! He’s dead.’

‘I don’t care. He did this!’

She lifted her nightie to her chest to reveal her body marked with rows of small round burn marks, too many to count.

Zoe gasped. During her service, she witnessed a lot of horrible sights, but rows of cigarette burns turned her stomach.

‘He burned me each time he raped me!’ She stamped her heel one more time into his groin. Then, as she accepted her ordeal would soon be over, her sobs escalated into a choleric wail.

Zoe grabbed her forearm and pulled her around to get eye contact. She put her hand on the side of Brooke’s face. ‘I need you to hold it together for a while longer.’

The wail faded when Zoe drew Brooke into a hug. She clung tightly, trembling, while sobbing on Zoe’s shoulder.

Zoe stroked the back of Brooke’s head to comfort her, urging her to think of herself back home in her family’s arms.

Behind them, while they hugged, Muscle Man regained consciousness. He sprang up, reached forward, grabbed the garden fork, and rushed toward them.

Before he plunged the fork into Zoe’s back, Joss aimed through the broken window and shot him in the head. He catapulted back and landed flat on his back on the floor.

Joss spotted the broken glass panel when she came through the hole in the fence and drew her Glock. Joss shoved the door against the dead man to squeeze through the gap.

She surveyed the bodies, trying to work out what happened. She inspected Zoe’s face. ‘Are you all right?’

Zoe smirked with an unapologetic look. ‘They started it. Check the woman on the pool table. She’s still alive. Drugged, I think.’

In the past, Joss and Zoe argued about violence and killing. Joss preferred negotiation to resolve conflict. Zoe did what she had to do when violence came her way. Meet it with a superior force.

Brooke said to Zoe, ‘She’s not dead. She’s not alive.’

Joss lifted the woman’s wrist to check for a pulse. Cold and clammy like a corpse.

The woman’s thick, black eyelashes snapped open to reveal doe-like eyes.

She shouted. ‘Please don’t do that! Please. I don’t like it. I’m begging you. Please don’t do that!’

Joss dropped the wrist and faced Zoe. ‘She is a sex robot. A sexbot. High quality, realistic-looking latex.’ Joss knelt and dragged three brown boxes from underneath the pool table. She reached into the first box and pulled out a few tubes of lubrication jelly to show Zoe.

***

Author Bio

I was born and brought up in Glasgow, Scotland. I studied biochemistry, and I’ve worked in several Scottish Universities where I did research on enzymes and taught biochemistry. After thirty years of teaching and research I retired my academic pen and took of a fiction pen.

I live in central Scotland with my wife and we enjoy reading, writing, and walking in the hills.

The Lambeth Group books are a series of the secret government investigations led by undercover agent Zoe Tampsin. A strong female protagonist with courage, determination, and guile. She is assisted by specialist science consultant, Dr Gavin Shawlens.

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