Tag: #serialkiller

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Ravenswood Murders by Helen H. Durrant

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE RAVENSWOOD MURDERS (Detective Alice Rossi Book #2) by Helen H. Durrant on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Book Tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Day 1. A young woman’s body is found in a shallow grave in the woods, buried in a white shroud. She’s been dead for a week. Her teeth are smashed in, her lips stitched together. Her hands are missing.

She’s the fourth young woman found like this.

With no witnesses, no clues and no leads to follow, the investigation is going nowhere.

That’s when Detective Alice Rossi is called in.

Alice knows this case is a poisoned chalice. Not least because she has a new team to contend with — who don’t like being bossed around by a woman.

Day 2. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Hewson is reported missing. She never came home from school, and her father is beside himself.

Will she be the fifth girl to die?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199313662-the-ravenswood-murders?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=14PoQEJKWH&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out 5 Stars

THE RAVENSWOOD MURDERS (Detective Alice Rossi Book #2) by Helen H. Durrant is a gripping serial killer mystery/police procedural featuring a mature female detective protagonist. While this is the second book in this series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

DCI Alice Rossi is assigned to take over the investigation of four teenage girls found mutilated and buried in Ravenswood that has stalled. Her superior has chosen her after her success with her last case and is hoping that fresh eyes on the case can catch this serial killer. The most recent grave was found within the week and the dead girl has left a clue embroidered in her homemade shroud.

When a fifth girl goes missing, Rossi is in a fight against time with a team she is not sure she can trust.

I enjoyed this second book’s plot and pace much better than the first and I am glad I continued with the series because I had high hopes for this new protagonist and series. I like that DCI Rossi is a mature female investigator and she needs all her talent and skill with the number of possible suspects in this case. The plot has several subplots interwoven in this story that did not detract from the main investigation, but added to the complex reality of the case and they also did not slow the pace. I always enjoy it when I am guessing right up to the end.

I recommend this thrilling serial killer mystery/police procedural and all this author’s books.

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Author Bio

Helen is one of the ‘baby boomer’ generation and began writing when she retired from her job at a local college. Born in Edinburgh to an English father and Scottish mother the family settled in a Pennine village between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is an environment which has shaped her stories. Writing is a second career and, despite having a bus pass, keeps her busy, and tuned in.

Helen’s children are all grown-up and she has five grandchildren.

Social Media Links

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GOODREADS

BOOKS BY HELEN H. DURRANT

OVER 1.5 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!

CALLADINE & BAYLISS SERIES:

  • DEAD WRONG
  • DEAD SILENT
  • DEAD LIST
  • DEAD LOST
  • DEAD & BURIED
  • DEAD NASTY
  • DEAD JEALOUS
  • DEAD BAD
  • DEAD GUILTY
  • DEAD WICKED
  • DEAD SORRY
  • DEAD REAL

DI GRECO SERIES:

  • DARK MURDER
  • DARK HOUSES
  • DARK TRADE
  • DARK ANGEL

DI MATHEW BRINDLE SERIES:

  • HIS THIRD VICTIM
  • THE OTHER VICTIM

DCI RACHEL KING SERIES:

  • NEXT VICTIM
  • TWO VICTIMS
  • WRONG VICTIM
  • FORGOTTEN VICTIM
  • LAST VICTIM

DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE SERIES:

  • THE GUILTY MAN
  • THE FACELESS MAN
  • THE WRONG WOMAN
  • DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE BOOKS 1-2

DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI MYSTERY SERIES:

  • THE ASH LAKE MURDERS

BOX SETS:

  • DETECTIVES CALLADINE & BAYLISS BOOKS 1-3
  • THE DETECTIVE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES BOOKS 1-9 BOX SET
  • DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOOKS 1-3
  • THE COMPLETE DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOX SET
  • THE DETECTIVE RACHEL KING BOOKS 1-3
  • DETECTIVE MATT BRINDLE DOUBLE-BOOK BOX SET
  • JOFFE BOOKS MURDER MYSTERY & SUSPENSE SHORT STORY COLLECTION

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

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DANGER ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #11) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. This series never disappoints. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

The Island of Guernsey isn’t exactly a favourite destination for adrenaline junkies.
But it does have one thing that attracts a new breed of adventure freaks.

Cliff jumping is taking off on the island, and June appears to be the best time of year for those that way inclined to choose to partake in the sport.

When a young woman is killed after a jump, her death is judged a tragic accident, but when her body is retrieved, and the remains of another corpse is found on the rocks below, the Island Police are brought in.

It’s the last thing Detective Liam O’Reilly feels like. Still feeling the effects of a case that almost broke him, he really doesn’t need this.

But when he drags himself back to where he once was, and starts to understand what he’s dealing with he wakes up enough to realise he’s dealing with something much more dangerous than the cliffs that people are jumping off.

There is someone on the Island who likes to take things to the extreme, and O’Reilly is damned if they’re going to do it on his island.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127541869-danger-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Z2JAu9hEPC&rank=1

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

Book 7 – Silence on the Island

Book 8 – Secrets on the Island

Book 9 – Chaos on the Island

Book 10 – Sadness on the Island

Book 11 – Danger on the Island

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

DANGER ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #11) by Stewart Giles is an exciting, intricately plotted serial killer mystery featuring the feisty Irish DI Liam O’Reilly and his police team on the island of Guernsey. This book can be read as a crime mystery standalone, but the main characters continue to evolve with each book, and I feel they are best read in order. Every book in this series is amazing and will not disappoint.

Guernsey is usually a laid-back place to live and vacation, but this summer a new phenomenon for thrill-seekers is occurring on the island – tombstoning – which is the activity of jumping into the sea from high cliffs or other high points. When a group goes out early for a jump, the first girl off the cliff hits the jagged rocks instead of the sea and when the Coast Guard go to retrieve the body, they find a second female body impaled on the rocks.

O’Reilly is back to work after a terrible motorbike accident because he refuses to sit at home. As more bodies are found at the farthest points of the island with no identification, O’Reilly and his team are at a loss. No clues but footprints until a young boy films one of the murders, but the perpetrators are wearing masks. O’Reilly knows he and his team are being led and he is determined to turn that around and find what is really going on with this sudden bout of murders on the island.

I absolutely love every time I get to take a book trip to Guernsey and revisit all these characters. O’Reilly and all the recurring characters after these eleven books are fully drawn and I feel as though I am visiting old friends while also trying to figure out a well plotted and always surprising crime mystery. I was on the edge of my seat, as usual, reading this book and could not put it down. I know when I get an Island book that I had better have several hours to sit and get immersed because I never stop until the last page.

I highly recommend this gripping and exciting serial killer crime mystery book! I never miss one of these DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries books.

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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. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

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

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Book Review: The Blue Monsoon by Damyanti Biswas

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE BLUE MONSOON (Blue Mumbai Book #2) by Damyanti Biswas is an atmospheric and suspenseful crime thriller/police procedural pitting a Senior Inspector against a ritualistic serial killer in Mumbai, India during the monsoon season. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Senior Inspector Arnav Rajput is called to the scene of a brutal ritualistic murder on the steps of a Kaali temple. The desecration of the Hindu temple sets the city on edge. A video of the murder is uploaded onto the account of a Bollywood social media influencer which leads to many more threads of this tangled web of an investigation.

A second mutilated body is discovered, and Arnav finds himself not only searching for a killer, but also dealing with duplicity and betrayal in his own police station. He seeks the help of his old partner, Sita Haik and the two are thrown into the middle of the intricate plot of a killer.

I loved this second book in the series as much as the first, The Blue Bar. Ms. Biswas’ writing immerses the reader in the underbelly of Mumbai and in this book an added antagonist is the monsoon season. Arnav is a realistic character who has a strong sense of right and wrong, but he also must bend at times within a corrupt system. Not only does he have a difficult case to solve, but his paraplegic wife who is about to give birth finds herself in danger, too. All the characters are fully developed and play key roles in this intricate plot. The discussions between characters of the still prevalent caste system and subjugation of women in India was fascinating and educational. The crime plot is intricate and has many tentacles with several crimes and criminal enterprises overlapping. The tension ramped up continually to keep me turning the pages until a surprising conclusion.

I highly recommend this immersive crime thriller/police procedural with its unique setting and memorable characters.

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About the Author

Damyanti Biswas lives in Singapore. Her short stories have been published in magazines in the US, UK, and Asia, and she helps edit the Forge Literary Magazine. She runs a 15-year old blog at damyantiwrites.com/blog, where she speaks about her life, writing and reading.

Her debut crime novel, You Beneath Your Skin, has been optioned for screen by Endemol Shine. Her next, The Blue Bar, part of the Blue Mumbai series, was published Jan 1 2023 by Thomas & Mercer. The sequel, The Blue Monsoon, will be published in October 2023.

When she’s not reading, writing or cooking up a storm, you can reach her via Facebook at www.facebook.com/damyantiwrites, on Twitter and Instagram as @damyantig. She loves hearing from readers.

Visit Damyanti’s website to sign up to her newsletter, where she shares writing advice, book recommendations and slices from her Blue Mumbai universe.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.damyantiwrites.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/damyantig

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/damyanti-biswas

Book Review: Blessing of the Lost Girls by J.A. Jance

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

BLESSING OF THE LOST GIRLS (A Brady and Walker Family Novel Book #1) by J.A. Jance is a gripping serial killer crime mystery police procedural suspense with combined characters from two of Ms. Jance’s long time series. This book can be read as a standalone because the character’s relationships are explained, and the focus is on a new generation of both families.

Federal agent Dan Pardee is now working for a new government agency, Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force (MIP). An unidentified burned body was found in Cochise County and identified two years later with newly submitted dental records by the new MIP unit. Dan is assigned the case which brings him into Joanna Brady’s jurisdiction, but it is Joanna’s daughter, criminal justice major Jenny Brady, who has information for this investigation.

Dan’s investigation begins to grow as he discovers a rodeo connection from this killer to several more missing girls. He now realizes he is chasing a serial killer who preys on marginalized girls and is skilled at not leaving a trail.

I felt this was an exceptionally strong crime mystery plot which the author took step-by-step to an exciting conclusion, even knowing who the serial killer is from the beginning. The story could be right out of the headlines with the focus on missing and murdered indigenous women. Dan is a determined and skilled law enforcement agent with an interesting Native American background which makes him perfect for his job. I also liked the possibility of Jenny Brady working with Dan in the future, which was left open. The serial killer is terrifying in his proficiency. I have heard of J.A. Jance for years, but this is the first book I have read by this author. I feel that helped me enjoy the new focus on these characters without expectations, but the marketing of it as a Brady and Walker book is confusing. Dan Pardee is a great character and I think he should be the focus in future marketing.

I found this engrossing serial killer crime mystery/police procedural suspense a thrilling read with a much needed focus on missing and murdered indigenous women. I am looking forward to more books featuring Dan Pardee.

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About the Author

J.A. Jance is the New York Times best selling author of 46 contemporary mysteries in four different series.

A voracious reader, J. A. Jance knew she wanted to be a writer from the moment she read her first Wizard of Oz book in second grade. Always drawn to mysteries, from Nancy Drew right through John D. McDonald’s Travis Magee series, it was only natural that when she tried her hand at writing her first book, it would be a mystery as well.

J. A. Jance went on to become the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, three interrelated thrillers featuring the Walker family, and Edge of Evil. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Jance is an avid crusader for many causes, including the American Cancer Society, Gilda’s Club, the Humane Society, the YMCA, and the Girl Scouts. A lover of animals, she has a rescued Dachshund named Bella.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.jajance.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAJance

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-a-jance

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Twice on Christmas by McGarvey Black

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TWICE ON CHRISTMAS by McGarvey Black on this Book ‘n’ All Promotions.

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

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Book Description

After choir practice for midnight mass, college sophomore Rose Grandon takes a short-cut through Harbor Park. Grabbed from behind, she is violently assaulted, beaten and left for dead. The last thing she hears is a tenor voice singing Silent Night.

Several hours later, the police find Rose lying in a ditch. Badly beaten — but alive. As she recovers in hospital, Rose is told she’s pregnant. She has a terrible choice to make. She decides to keep the baby. Nine months later, she gives birth to a beautiful baby girl. She names her Mary.

Rose lives quietly in her small Connecticut hometown raising her daughter — the one good thing to come out of her horrible ordeal. She begins to get her old self back, but her evil attacker has never been caught. He strikes twice a year. Once on Christmas Eve, once on Christmas Day. Until he’s behind bars, Rose and her baby can never be safe.

But now he’s found out he has a daughter. And that changes everything . . .

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197785670-twice-on-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=5L0GP13mEC&rank=1

BOOKS BY MCGARVEY BLACK

STANDALONES

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Book Review

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

TWICE ON CHRISTMAS by McGarvey Black is a serial killer crime thriller/domestic suspense that features a young woman who survives a horrific attack on Christmas Eve and must deal with the trauma and ramifications every year following for over a decade. This is a standalone suspense/thriller by an author who is new to me.

Rose Grandon is a college sophomore at UConn and home for Christmas break. After choir practice for midnight mass, Rose wants to get home quicker by cutting through Harbor Park and is attacked from behind. Assaulted and left for dead, the last thing she hears is a beautiful tenor voice singing “Silent Night” as she loses consciousness by a creek in a ravine.

Her attacker is never found as she deals with several months of rehab and a pregnancy from her attack. Rose works hard to get her life back and make a home for baby, Mary, but every year her attacker remains on the loose and brutally attacking one woman every Christmas Eve and killing on every Christmas Day.

What Rose does not realize is that her attacker discovers he has a daughter, and that changes all his plans.

This is a thriller that immediately grabs you with a terrible crime and then follows the protagonist, Rose, through the next years of her life and everything she must deal with. As the reader follows Rose’s life, there are several male characters introduced into her life that could be the serial killer. I felt it was evident very early even with all the misdirection. Rose also is dealing with her daughter’s behavioral issues which highlighted how much parents do not want to acknowledge about their own children. As in any domestic suspense there are times you want to yell at the main character for not realizing some key bit of inconsistency and this story had many. The law enforcement officers, both local and federal, are not very efficient either. No background checks?

Overall,  I feel this is an average suspense/thriller that is entertaining, but with a few too many holes in the plot and a protagonist that does not question things she should.

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Author Bio

McGarvey studied voice at Manhattan School of Music and was later a theatre major in college. She pursued an acting career but later moved into a magazine and digital media career. During that time, she sold advertising and managed sales teams for companies like Conde Nast, WebMD and worked for brands including GQ, Travel + Leisure, and Allure.

In between, she took a year off and backpacked alone around the world. Later, after having two children, she left media and became an executive recruiter for internet companies. In 2017, she began writing full time and has since published six novels.

Social Media Links

AUTHOR WEBSITE
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

Book Review: Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THOSE EMPTY EYES by Charlie Donlea is a complex and gripping thriller featuring the notorious sole survivor of the murder of her family and her ten-year search for their killer. I have read several of Mr. Donlea’s books and he never fails to keep me turning the pages in anticipation of the inevitable unexpected twists to come.

Alex Quinlan not only survived the horrific murder of her parents and brother but is accused of the crime and dubbed “Empty Eyes” by the insatiable media. When the state’s case falls apart, Alex with the help of her attorney sues the state for defamation and while she wins the case, the media still has doubts of her innocence.

Ten years later and Alex is now Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator for her attorney’s law firm. When she is sent to investigate the disappearance of a college student, Alex discovers unexpected connections to the murder of her family and soon realizes that those she is closest to may not be who they seem.

This is one of those books that you think is finished with the revelation of the killer, but it is not. A twist filled plot and another in the last pages of the book, make this a book that will be discussed long after “The End” whether you liked it or not. Alex is a character that you immediately feel sympathy for with her treatment after the murder of her family, but as the story continues, she grows into a strong and intelligent protagonist who refuses to forget the past but seeks answers from it. This thriller has intriguing characters that are fully fleshed and believable, multiple mysteries and shocking twists that never end.

I highly recommend this intriguing thriller!

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About the Author

Charlie Donlea is the #1 internationally bestselling author of Summit Lake, The Girl Who Was Taken, Don’t Believe It, Some Choose Darkness, The Suicide House, Twenty Years Later, and Those Empty Eyes. Praised for his “soaring pace, teasing plot twists” (BookPage) and talent for writing an ending that “makes your jaw drop” (The New York Times Book Review), Donlea has been called a “bold new writer…on his way to becoming a major figure in the world of suspense” (Publishers Weekly). A late bloomer, he was twenty years old when he read his first novel––THE FIRM by John Grisham––and knew he would someday write thrillers. His books have now been translated into twenty languages across nearly forty countries.

He was born and raised in Chicago, where he continues to live with his wife and two children.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.charliedonlea.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlieDonlea

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/charlie-donlea