#bookblurb – Page 9 – Avonna Loves Genres

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes

Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes

#LittleFalls @Elizabeth_Lewes @crookedlanebks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am on the blog tour and sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for LITTLE FALLS by Elizabeth Lewes.

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

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Book Blurb

She tried to forget the horrors of war–but her quiet hometown conceals a litany of new evils.

Sergeant Camille Waresch did everything she could to forget Iraq. She went home to Eastern Washington and got a quiet job. She connected with her daughter, Sophie, whom she had left as a baby. She got sober. But the ghosts of her past were never far behind.

While conducting a routine property tax inspection on an isolated ranch, Camille discovers a teenager’s tortured corpse hanging in a dilapidated outbuilding. In a flash, her combat-related PTSD resurges–and in her dreams, the hanging boy merges with a young soldier whose eerily similar death still haunts her. The case hits home when Sophie reveals that the victim was her ex-boyfriend–and as Camille investigates, she uncovers a tangled trail that leads to his jealous younger brother and her own daughter, wild, defiant, and ensnared.

The closer Camille gets to the truth, the closer she is driven to the edge. Her home is broken into. Her truck is blown up. Evidence and witnesses she remembers clearly are erased. And when Sophie disappears, Camille’s hunt for justice becomes a hunt for her child. At a remote compound where the terrifying truth is finally revealed, Camille has one last chance to save her daughter–and redeem her own shattered soul.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49772280-little-falls

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes is an intense debut suspense/thriller/mystery mash-up from this author and I would be interested in seeing it become a series. I was pulled right into the story which not only has plenty of action and suspense, but it is seen by the reader through the eyes of the main character who is still suffering from PTSD after returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Camille Waresch returned to her small hometown in Eastern Washington after serving several tours as a frontline medic. She is trying to connect with her teenage daughter who grew up with Camille’s parents while she was overseas and is always angry with her, deal with her PTSD and keep her job as a county property tax inspector. Her father also left her the local gas mart as a permanent income and place to live about the shop.

While doing a routine property tax inspection, Camille discovers a badly tortured young boy hung by barbwire in a barn. She immediately has a severe PTSD flashback to a similar scene from her time in Iraq. The two victims merge in her dreams and she does not know if she can trust her memories, but the dead boy was her daughter’s boyfriend and she becomes involved in the investigation over the concerns of her childhood friend, Sergeant Darren Moses.

The closer Camille gets to the truth the more danger she is in. The gas mart is broken into, her truck in blown up and evidence she discovers for Darren disappears. The two cases, past and present converge. Her daughter disappears and she has one last chance to save her daughter and herself.

I love a protagonist like Camille when they are trying to be “normal”, but everyone and everything is against them. I feel the author did a great job of portraying her PTSD, difficulty in returning to civilian life and the inability to tell if Camille was telling the truth, remembering something from the past or having false memories. The plot moves at a fast pace between past and present and occasionally I was confused because you are only viewing everything through Camille’s eyes. I am hoping Ms. Lewes picks up these characters again in future books because I think there is still so much she can do with Camille and the other secondary characters.

I recommend this debut suspense/thriller/mystery and I am hoping for more.

***

About Elizabeth Lewes

Elizabeth Lewes is a U.S. Navy veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom as a linguist. A practicing attorney, she resides in Seattle with her family.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elizabeth_Lewes @elizabeth_lewes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_lewes/

Purchase Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3jSSe9e

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3fbXr8K

Google Books: https://bit.ly/33d25ke

Book Depository: https://bit.ly/336hnYg

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3ghek3i

Publishing Information:

Published by Crooked Lane Books in hardcover, audio and digital formats on 11^th August 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Say No More by Karen Rose

Say No More (The Sacramento Series #2) by Karen Rose

#SayNoMore @KarenRoseBooks @headlinepg @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Say No More Blog Tour. I am very excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for SAY NO MORE (Romantic Suspense #24, Sacramento #2) by Karen Rose. I loved the first book in the Sacramento series and I can happily say book #2 did not let me down.

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

***

Book Blurb

Perfect for fans of James Patterson and Karin Slaughter, this is the second gripping instalment of the Sacramento series from Sunday Times bestseller Karen Rose. An explosive crime thriller, Say No More will keep you gripped until the final page.

If they ever catch you, say nothing. Admit nothing. Never tell.

Mercy Callahan never thought she’d be able to talk about her past. When she arrives in Sacramento to make peace with her brother Gideon, and to help find the brutal cult that took away her childhood, she is finally ready to talk. But when Ephraim Burton – the man who made her life a living hell – follows her there, she realises she might never be safe.

Rafe Sokolov would do anything to have Mercy back in his life and would go to any length to protect her. But when it becomes apparent that Ephraim is more determined than ever to get Mercy back, even Rafe might not be able to stop the trail of destruction he leaves in his wake. As Ephraim draws near, it’s clear it’s not just Mercy who is in danger; those closest to her are firmly in his sights.

Will Mercy sacrifice herself to help bring Ephraim down? Or will he finally get what he’s always wanted…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50156405-say-no-more

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SAY NO MORE (Romantic Suspense #24, Sacramento #2) by Karen Rose is the second book in the Sacramento romantic suspense series. I loved the first book “Say You’re Sorry” so I was very excited to get book #2 and it did not disappoint. It is just as action packed, intense and suspenseful with another great H/h pair.

Mercy Callahan escaped a cult seventeen years ago and has moved on with her life. She still feared that Ephriam, who took her as his wife at the age of twelve and abused her, would never give up looking for her. She did not know that the man who killed her mother and almost killed her told Ephraim she was dead.

During the FBI hunt for a serial killer, Mercy and her brother, Gideon reconnect and Mercy meets his closest friend, Rafe Sokolov. Mercy has returned to Sacramento to apologize to Gideon for running away after being saved from the serial killer and see if her feelings for Rafe are real. While at the airport, Mercy is almost abducted by Ephriam who has discovered she is alive and her death faked.

Mercy and Rafe are determined to find and uncover the cult’s secrets as Ephriam leaves a trail of dead bodies and will do anything to take Mercy back to the cult dead or alive.

Karen Rose always writes longer books that go in depth into the hero and heroine and their personal connections with an action filled and suspenseful plot that weaves everything together into a great romantic suspense read. I was looking forward to reading more about Mercy after meeting her in the first book. She had misunderstandings that needed to be revealed. Her character has been through so much and yet she still has the capacity to trust and love. Rafe has had his own personal loses and it let him understand Mercy better than anyone else. The romance builds very slowly due to Mercy’s abuse, but you know it is going to be strong and solid by the HEA. All the secondary characters are as fully fleshed as the H/h and even with the different and large family units on both ends of the country, it is never confusing. You can read this book as a standalone, but I believe you will enjoy it more if you read “Say You’re Sorry” first.

This book has everything I look for in a romantic suspense. I know I will get action, suspense, unexpected plot twists and an H/h I will fall in love with. I am always excited to get a new story from this author to catch up with all the families and the previous main characters.

I highly recommend this romantic suspense and the Sacramento series!

***

About the Author

Karen Rose was introduced to suspense and horror at the tender age of eight when she accidentally read Poe’s The Pit and The Pendulum and was afraid to go to sleep for years. She now enjoys writing books that make other people afraid to go to sleep. Karen lives in Florida with her family, their cat, Bella, and two dogs, Loki and Freya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, and her new hobby – knitting.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenRoseBooks

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

Website: http://www.karenrosebooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenrosebooks/

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/39sS03O

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3g2Qs3b

Book Depository: https://bit.ly/2WX26VO

Google Books: https://bit.ly/32VguBC

Hive.co.uk: https://bit.ly/3f2Akxp

Publishing Information:

Published in hardcover, audio and digital formats by Headline on 6^th August 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Come Join the Murder by Holly Rae Garcia

Hi, everyone!

Today I am posting for Blackthorn Book Tours Presents blog tour. My Feature Post and Book Review is for COME JOIN THE MURDER by Holly Rae Garcia.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. This is a poignant and dark murder thriller that kept me turning the pages.

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Book Blurb

“This is a novel I would read and reread and recommend to others. Fans of vigilante and desperado revenge will delight in this horror story.” — Horror Tree.

Rebecca Crow’s four-year-old son is dead, and her husband is missing.

Divers find her husband’s car at the bottom of a canal with their son’s small, lifeless body, inside. The police have no suspects and nothing to go on but a passing mention of a man driving a van. Guilt and grief cloud Rebecca’s thoughts as she stumbles towards her only mission: Revenge.

James Porter knows exactly what happened to them, but he’ll do anything to keep it a secret.

James didn’t plan to kill Rebecca’s son, but he’s not too broken up about it, either. There are more important things for him to worry about. He needs money, and his increasing appetite for murder is catching the attention of a nosy detective.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52737915-come-join-the-murder

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

COME JOIN THE MURDER by Holly Rae Garcia is a short, poignant and dark crime thriller by a new author that kept me turning the pages. Graphic and at times difficult to read, I still could not put it down until I knew the final resolution for the dual narrators.

Rebecca Crow and her husband, Jon tried for a long time to have a child. Now Oliver is four years old and a miniature copy of her husband. Rebecca stays home to catch up on work as her husband and Oliver head to the beach for the day. On the way home, their car has a flat. After calling AAA and Rebecca, she agrees to wait for them at the car repair shop, but they never show up.

Her husband’s car is found at the bottom of the canal with her son’s body inside. Her husband’s body is missing. Guilt and grief take over Rebecca’s every thought and all she can focus on is revenge against the person in the old van who destroyed her family.

James Porter did not plan to kill Rebecca’s son, but he is not feeling any guilt over it either. James needs money and he is finding it increasingly easier to kill to get it. As James’ trail of bodies begins to draw attention from a nosy detective, he also realizes someone else may be looking for him and his van.

Rebecca and James are dual narrators throughout this short novel. Rebecca is twisted by the pain, regret and loss she now endures into a woman seeking revenge and believing she can find some closure. James is a taker who finds he increasingly enjoys the kill. The plot spirals into a psychological thriller that leaves you comparing the two and finding that both may have started differently, but are they now truly different? This story has graphic violence, but I never felt it was gratuitous because it was demonstrated by both main characters.

I feel this is a gripping story of grief and murder that I find I cannot quit thinking about and analyzing.

***

Author Bio

Holly Rae Garcia’s debut novel, Come Join the Murder, was released on March 27th, 2020 by Close to the Bone Publishing (UK). Her short fiction has been published by Siren’s Call, The Bookends Review, Rue Scribe, Pen to Print, The Australian Writers’ Centre, and Trembling With Fear along with a few anthologies. Holly lives on the Texas Coast with her family and five dogs.

Links

My Website: https://www.hollyraegarcia.com/

Book’s Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084FHXZZL

Book’s Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50978801-come-join-the-murder

Twitter: @HollyRaeGarcia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollyRaeGarciaAuthor/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Instagram: @HollyRaeGarcia

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Deadly Vengeance by O.M.J. Ryan

#DeadlyVengeance @OMJRYAN1 #InkubatorBooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Deadly Vengeance Blog Tour. I am very excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DEADLY VENGEANCE (Detective Jane Phillips Book #3) by O.M.J. Ryan. I love this series!

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

***

Book Blurb

Some people can never escape their past.

When the fifteen-year-old daughter of UK munitions dealer, Sir Richard Hawkins vanishes without a trace – the race is on to find her. But Sir Richard and his wife’s worst fears are realised when they receive a video of Hollie, tied to a chair, with a masked man holding a gun to her head.

The ransom demands are simple, pay four million pounds in cash – or they’ll never see their daughter again. DCI Jane Phillips is assigned to the case, and has no idea of who, or what she’s up against. But as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear Hollie’s kidnapping was the work of a formidable gang – who operate in the shadows and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

As the pressure mounts, can Phillips and the team find Hollie before it’s too late? Or will this investigation signal not only the death of the Major Crimes Unit, but one of her beloved team, as well?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54377800-deadly-vengeance

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

DEADLY VENGEANCE (Detective Jane Phillips Book #3) by O.M.J. Ryan is the latest suspense/thriller/ British police procedural in the DCI Jane Phillips series. I love this series and am always very happy to return to Manchester with Jane and all her teammates.

Holly Hawkins is kidnapped from a Halloween party at her parent’s country club. It was a precision job with no clues left behind. Her parents receive a video of a terrified Holly stating her father has exactly one week to get four million pounds together for the ransom drop with no excuses or Holly will be killed.

DCI Phillips and her team are assigned the case, but they also have to deal with a Hostage Negotiator from the Met who wants all the glory without doing any of the work. Every clue ends in a dead end and the money must be dropped.

Will Jane and her team be able to find Holly as the pressure mounts, or will they be too late? And when they finally have a chance to solve the kidnapping, one of Jane’s team may not see it to the end.

There are a few British police procedural series that I absolutely have to keep up with and they are Angela Marsons’ Kim Stone series, Robert Brynzda’s Erika Foster series and O.M.J. Ryan’s Jane Phillips is the third. Mr. Ryan has created wonderful characters that could walk right off the page. His plots are always intricate and the investigations intriguing. This book, as the rest, can be read as a standalone because the main plot/crime is always solved in each book, but the characters grow and evolve so in my opinion it is more satisfying to read them in order.

I highly recommend this book and the entire Detective Jane Phillips series!

***

About the Author

Hailing from Yorkshire, OMJ Ryan worked in radio and entertainment for over twenty years, collaborating with household names and accumulating a host of international writing and radio awards. In 2018 he followed his passion to become a full-time novelist, writing stories for people who devour exciting, fast-paced thrillers by the pool, on their commute – or those rare moments of downtime before bed. Owen’s mission is to entertain from the first page to the last.

Deadly Vengeance is the third Detective Jane Phillips book in the series and OMJ’s fourth book with Inkubator Books.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OMJRYAN1 @OMJRYAN1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OMJ-Ryan-2449880305025779/

Website: https://www.omjryan.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omjryan/

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3glPeQ6

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2AolDGu

Publishing Information

Published in digital format by Inkubator Books on 19^th July 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Holiday Date by Debbie Ioanna

Holiday Date by Debbie Ioanna

#BlindDate @Debbie_Cleo @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi,everyone!

Today I am very excited to be the first stop on the Holiday Date Blog Tour! I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review of HOLIDAY DATE: Book 2 of the “Blind Date” Series by Debbie Ioanna.

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

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Book Blurb

Relationships are tested in this highly anticipated sequel to ‘Blind Date’.

Jenny is back in this romantic comedy, and this time she has her man. Life is wonderful as she switches her sex dreams for the real thing with her hunk, Zack. As well as feeling loved up, she must also console her recently-single best friend, Sarah. Those much-loved blind dates make a welcome return as Jenny gets the sweet taste for vengeance.

After a girly holiday to Rome, and a somewhat unexpected vegan experience, Zack whisks Jenny abroad for a romantic holiday of their own. However, jolly holidays aren’t on the menu when faced with a twenty-something stunner in the next villa.

Holidays take the centre stage for this sequel, where relationships are put to the test, at home and abroad.

Also includes a bonus chapter.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51263719-holiday-date

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HOLIDAY DATE: Book 2 of the ‘Blind Date’ series by Debbie Ioanna is a contemporary romance/romcom which picks up with Jenny’s life nine months after the end of Blind Date. I would recommend reading these books in order. They are not long and they are easy to read.

Jenny and Zack are still together and very happy She is helping Sarah get on with her life after her parting with ‘The Wanker’. They take off together for two weeks on a girls only holiday in Rome.

Sarah is living with Jenny until she finds a new house and for just a little bit of revenge, Jenny makes Sarah sign up on the same dating app she made Jenny use. They keep their code word for rescues, but Jenny is just a little slow in responding. Turn around is fair play. After one disastrous date, a new name pops up on Sarah’s app, but how can she break it to Jenny?

When Sarah moves out, Zack moves in. Zack decides to invite Jenny on a holiday for the two of them and his parents at his family’s villa in Greece. What Jenny was not counting on was the beautiful blonde twenty-something in the neighboring villa who is much to familiar with her boyfriend.

I enjoyed this follow-up to Jenny, Zack and Sarah’s lives. While there are funny moments, this book is more about Jenny and Zack’s romance and Jenny and Sarah’s friendship. Not quite as laugh out loud funny as the first book, but I still loved catching up with Jenny’s life. Jenny is realistic and relatable which makes me want to be her friend, too. Bing Clawsby is also back. The plot has a few surprises in store for the reader that kept me turning the pages. The additional chapter added after the end of Holiday Date will finally answer the question of – What went so wrong on Jenny and Sarah’s trip to Zante? It ended the book on laugh.

I recommend this continuation of the Blind Date series and I am hoping for many more!

***

About the Author

            Debbie is a multi-genre indie author and blogger who was born in Bradford and lives there with her husband, two-year-old daughter and anti-social cat Cleo. When she isn’t busy being a Mum, working for her local council or studying towards her Open University degree, she is busy focusing on her writing career.

            Debbie doesn’t write to just one genre as she likes to write about anything. She is currently working on a romantic-comedy series but who knows what she will be working on in the future. As well as writing novels, short stories and blogs for her website, she is also reviewing other works by indie authors. She is passionate about helping other indie authors as she knows it is a hard world to master and getting reviews is a challenge on its own.

            Debbie has been a regular attending author at the UK Indie Lit Fest in Bradford for the last few years and will be returning in 2020, as well as attending events in Shipley and Liverpool for the first time.

            Debbie began studying with the Open University in 2015, aiming towards a BA Honours in Humanities, focusing on History and Creative Writing which are her two greatest passions. It is a part-time course, due to end in 2021 which Debbie is hoping means she will have more time to write.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Debbie_Cleo

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

Website: https://debbie-ioanna-author.blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbieioannaauthor/

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/31jaH8d

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Bj0Pk2

Publishing Information

Published in digital and paperback formats on 12^th May 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Reviews: Utrecht Murders – Utrecht Snow and Utrecht Rain by Jonathan Wilkins

Utrecht Murders (Utrecht Snow & Utrecht Rain) by Jonathan Wilkins

#UtrechtSnow #UtrechtRain @WriterJWilkins @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Reviews on the Utrecht Murders two book blog tour. UTRECHT SNOW and UTRECHT RAIN by Jonathan Wilkins which introduce the reader to a police investigative team in the city of Utrecht in the central Netherlands.

Below you will find book blurbs, the main cast of characters, my book reviews, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurbs

UTRECHT SNOW:
Utrecht police inspector Caes Heda leads a team looking into the disappearance of young women. Meanwhile his daughter, Truus, bored with University takes up a job with disgraced former police office Thijs Orman at his Private Detective Agency and finds herself looking for yet another missing girl, this time it’s her bosses own daughter. are they all linked? At the Kroonstraat Police station the team Caes has put together look into the normal run of the mill cases and try to overcome the weather as much as the crime in the city as snow envelopes the streets of Utrecht. We meet twins Freddie and Maaike Meijer who patrol the streets together with colleagues Adrie and Danny. The team is made up by Madelon Verloet and man mountain Ernst Hougewood. Together they investigate car theft, street crime, assault and finally murder. We look at the everyday lives of the police involved, Caes still traumatised after his wifes early death and Truus falling for Maaike.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29454997-utrecht-snow

UTRECHT RAIN:
Maaike Meijer is attacked in a senseless outbreak of violence at the Dom Tower in Utrecht. Her brother, Freddie, fights off the assailants, but how is the brutality linked to a series of violent threats, cyber crime and the Dutch Secret Service? Truus Heda continues her work as a private investigator whilst caring for her lover before finding the missing link. As the nightmare unfolds we enter the world of Serbian gangsters and Utrecht Goths and see how Hoofdinspecteur Caes Heda and his overworked team tackle a crime that could consume the city.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54306472-utrecht-rain

***

MAIN CAST OF CHARACTERS:

CAES HEDA – Hoofdinspecteur (Police Inspector) in charge of Kroonstraat Police Bureau in Utrecht

TRUUS HEDA – 19-year-old daughter of Caes Heda, student at Universiteit, apprentice to Private Investigator Thijs Orman

MADELON VERLOET – Hoofdagent (Detective)

ANDRE VOELMAN – Hoofdagent (Detective)

DANNY MEEUWEN – Surveillant

FREDERIK MEIJER (twin brother to Maaike) – Police Agent

MAAIKE MEIJER (twin sister to Frederik) -Police Agent

ERNST HOEWEGAN – Brigadier

THIJS ORMAN – Particulier Onderzoeks Bureau (Private Investigator), discharged from police force due to drug use, training Truus Heda

***

My Book Review

UTRECHT SNOW by Jonathan Wilkins is a police procedural thriller set in Utrecht, Netherlands. I was attracted to the book by the cover and the unique setting. Utrecht is in the central Netherlands and was considered a religious center for centuries. It has a medieval old town, canals, gothic cathedral of St. Martin and a 14^th century bell tower. This series is set in present time.

Young women are missing from the Universiteit and Hoofdinspector Caes Heda and his team are on the case. All the girls appear to have nothing in common other than not having family or friends that would raise the alarm at their disappearance.

At the same time, Truus Heda, Caes’ daughter bored with Universiteit, has accepted an apprenticeship with Private Investigator Thijs Orman a disgraced ex-cop. One of the missing girls is Thijs’ daughter, Steer. Which brings the police, Truus and Thijs all together to solve the disappearances.

As capable as Truus believes herself to be, she unknowingly runs into the dangerous killer. Now Caes and his team have to find and save the girls, including his daughter. Will they find them alive?

I did have difficulty at first getting into this story, but I am glad I persevered. There are I feel too many Dutch words used throughout the book to pull in the average reader. I found it authentic and interesting, but I did have to work at accepting this was how it was written. The missing girls and the murders all were paced well, which lead to a good thriller plot.

I do wish this was written as an introductory novella rather than a full-length book because there was too much repetition of Caes dealing with the loss of his wife, Truus’ kickboxing, Maaike’s judo and Truus and Maaike’s relationship. One scene on each would have been enough, but it was repeated excessively. I felt there should have been more attention to the thriller plot and much less on their private lives.

I enjoyed this introduction to a new, unique location and way of policing. The characters are fully fleshed out and the thriller plot was good. I just feel there is too much emphasis on scenes not necessary to the plot and it should be edited down to a novella with more focus. (Check out my next review for Utrecht Rain because I believe it is a much more focused and polished thriller.)

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

UTRECHT RAIN by Jonathan Wilkins is the second police procedural thriller book in the Utrecht Murder series featuring Chief Inspector Caes Heda and his team. This book can easily be read as a standalone.

Maaike’s is attacked while on patrol with her twin by a group all in black and severely beaten before Frederik can get to her.

While she is recuperating with Truus looking after her, Truus is pulled off the street and taken to AIVD headquarters (AIVD is the General Intelligence and Security Service in the Netherlands) and asked to share information regarding a client that Thijs is surveilling.

At the same time Caes and the team are working not one, but two bank robberies pulled off simultaneously with all alarms and CCTV hacked. Each bank had five robbers all in black with bats and guns and they took the exact same amount of money.

All these investigations intertwine and converge with Maaike’s assault, Utrecht Goths, a computer genius and the Serbian mob. Will Caes and his team be able to solve everything in time to save the city?

I really enjoyed this unique look at criminal investigation, life and culture in the Netherlands. This second book in the series is much easier to read than the first with less Dutch, it is more reader friendly. The characters are fully-fleshed out and there is no confusion even if this is the first book you read. The fast pace and intersection of plot point revelations between Caes and his team’s investigation and Truus’ investigation leave you always with a reason to keep turning the pages.

A police procedural thriller from a unique place and culture with characters well worth following.

***

About Jonathan Wilkins

Jonathan loves to write. He is a retired teacher, lapsed Waterstones’ bookseller and former Basketball Coach. He taught PE and English for 20 years and coached women’s basketball for over 30 years.

He regularly teaches creative writing workshops in and around Leicester.

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterJWilkins

Website: www.jonathanwilkins.co.uk

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2VnE1Xk

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3g0pKYz

Publishing Information:

Utrecht Snow published by lulu.com in paperback format on 6^th March 2020. Utrecht Rain published by lulu.com in paperback format on 17^th March 2020.