Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The List by Michael Leese

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 LIST (Martha Munro Crime Mystery Book #1) by Michael Leese.

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

It was just an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime when Detective Martha Munro’s life changed forever.

Her sergeant is speaking, but she barely hears what he’s telling her.

Your mother has been shot dead. Your four-year-old daughter has been taken.

There are no leads. Who would want to hurt her family?

Martha realizes it’s time to ask herself some hard questions about her late father.

He led the anti-corruption squad at Scotland Yard. It’s rumoured he kept a list of everyone who worked for him, from coppers to criminals. And just being on that list was a sure-fire way to lower your life expectancy.

Her mother was killed by someone trying to get their hands on that list. Now time is running out for Martha to get her daughter back alive.

Martha is the kind of cop who always goes by the book. But family is EVERYTHING. And she will do ANYTHING to keep them safe. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59920624-the-list?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=dFG7fb31ts&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE LIST (Martha Munroe Crime Mystery Book #1) by Michael Leese is the first book in a new British crime mystery series and it is constructed like no other I have read before. I was immediately intrigued and could not put it down.

Detective Martha Munroe is informed by her sergeant that her mother has been shot dead and her four-year-old daughter kidnapped.

With the help of longtime friend of the family, Harry the Hat, Martha begins to learn more about her late father who led the anti-corruption unit at The Met and is somehow tied to the forces working to destroy her. A powerful enemy believes Martha has the list belonging to her father that names all the criminals who were working as snitches for him and all the corrupt police on the force and he is willing to do anything to get it for himself.

When Martha and Harry find the list, they must work to decode it to find out who Martha can really trust and who is trying to make sure she ends up dead.

I enjoyed the unique way this story unfolded. Who would put their detective protagonist in such a position in the first book of a series? Well, Mr. Leese did, and I found it kept me turning the pages. Martha and Harry are wonderful characters that are very likeable and fully fleshed. The other characters always had me guessing whether they were good, bad, or varying shades of gray. The plot is full of twists and surprises with an ending that leaves the door open for more. I am looking forward to following Martha in future books in this series.

I recommend this start to a new British crime mystery series!

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About the Author

Before taking up writing, Michael Leese was a national newspaper journalist for over 25 years, with the last part of his career working for the London Evening Standard. The most memorable stories he covered ranged from Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the death of Princess Diana, the 9/11 attacks and the two Gulf wars.

In the latter part of his career, Mike was a news editor. In this role he gained insights into many specialties from crime and court reporting, to political and science news and the behind the scenes working of government, the City and other institutions. Mike’s passion for news and current affairs remains very strong and influences the writing of his books.

Social Media Links

AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
GOODREADS

BOOKS BY MICHAEL LEESE

DETECTIVES ROPER AND HOOLEY MYSTERIES:

  • THE CASE OF THE HEADLESS BILLIONAIRE
  • THE CASE OF THE MISSING FACES
  • THE CASE OF THE DIRTY BOMB
  • THE CASE OF THE EXPLODING SHOP
  • THE CASE OF THE KILLER GAMESHOW

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Christmas on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions blog tour. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #6) by Stewart Giles.

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

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Book Description

CHRISTMAS:
The silly season.
Or, the suicide season?

A string of suicides on the island arouses Detective Liam O’Reilly’s suspicions. He understands that the suicide rate tends to increase during the festive season, but the ways in which these people have chosen to end their lives doesn’t feel right.

As O’Reilly and his team dig deeper they soon learn there is much more to these apparent suicides than they initially thought and O’Reilly realises there is a seriously damaged mind on the loose.

Dubbed the suicide killer by the press, this madman will stop at nothing to get his depraved message across and O’Reilly is the only one who can put an end to his killing spree.

This festive season is one the Irish detective will never forget.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59522924-christmas-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=7VgWMg8cL6&rank=1

BOOKS BY STEWART GILES

DS JASON SMITH SERIES
Book 0.5-Phobia
Book 1-Smith
Book 2-Boomerang
Book 3-Ladybird
Book 4-Occam’s Razor
Book 5-Harlequin
Book 6-Selene
Book 7-Horsemen
Book 8-Unworthy
Book 9 – Venom
Book 10 – Severed
Book 11 – Demons
Book 12 – Deadeye
Book 13 – Motive
Book 14 – Australia
Book 15 – Wishbone

DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES
Book 1 – Blood on the Island
Book 2 – Lies on the Island
Book 3 – Fear on the Island
Book 4 – Malice on the Island
Book 5 – Revenge on the Island
Book 6 – Christmas on the Island

DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1-The Beekeeper
Book 2-The Perfect Murder
Book 3-The Backpacker
Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3

DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
Book 1 – The Enigma
Book 2 – Dropzone
Book 3 – The Raven Girl
Trilogy: The DS Smith & Harriet Taylor box set

THE MIRANDA TRILOGY (psychological thrillers)
Miranda
Mistress
Medusa

STANDALONE HORROR
The Divide

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #6) by Stewart Giles is another exciting police procedural/crime mystery featuring the crusty DI Liam O’Reilly on the Channel Island of Guernsey set during the Christmas holiday. The crime mystery in each book is unique, but these books are best read in order due to the ever-evolving main characters.

A string of suicides occur on the island right before Christmas, but when O’Reilly arrives on each scene there is something that just feels off. As O’Reilly and his team investigate, the coroner and Crime scene techs make it clear that they are looking for a killer.

Dubbed the suicide killer by the island press, O’Reilly searches for a connection between the victims which does not appear to exist until a young journalist and his twin sister seem like the perfect suspects. 

Will O’Reilly and his team be able to stop the killer or killers before Christmas day?

I love the O’Reilly mysteries series! O’Reilly is a determined DI who will investigate every little piece of evidence until they all click together in his mind to solve the case. Having read all the books in this series, O’Reilly, his team at the police station, his daughter and his girlfriend have all become friends I look forward to revisiting in each book. The crime mystery plots are always intriguing with lots of red herrings and plot twists that always lead me to false conclusions. Mr. Giles is very good at twisting a mystery plot to completely change the outcome while still being believable.

I highly recommend this addition to the series!

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Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results.  I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow with book 16 recently published. The first 5 books in the Detective Liam O’Reilly series are now available.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33