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I post book reviews as often as possible but at least once a week every Wednesday! I hope they help you to find some new books that you'll love as much as I did!
 Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour! Don’t forget to check out the posts by the other wonderful bloggers taking part too! The Synopsis THE DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE CREATOR AND WRITER OF THE KILLING One blustery October morning in a quiet suburb of Copenhagen, the police make a terrible discovery. A young woman is found brutally murdered in a playground and one of her hands is missing. Above her hangs a small doll made of chestnuts. Ambitious young detective Naia Thulin is assigned the case. Her partner, Mark Hess, is a burned-out investigator who's just been kicked out of Europol. They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man - evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and is presumed dead - the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung. The man who confessed to her murder is behind bars and the case is long since closed. Soon afterwards, another woman is found murdered, along with another chestnut man. Thulin and Hess suspect that there's a connection between the Hartung case, the murdered women and a killer who is spreading fear throughout the country. But what is it? Thulin and Hess are racing against the clock, because it's clear that the murderer is on a mission that is far from over . . . My Review At around 500 pages, The Chestnut Man is definitely one of the longer reads I’ve enjoyed recently, but let me tell you, it is worth every single one of those pages and more. They’re all completely transfixing and the book is absolutely impossible to put down. In fact, the writing is so engrossing that I didn’t want to look away for a second, even whilst I was reading the most gruesome scenes. Although just a warning, the gory scenes are very unsettling and dark so this book isn’t for the faint hearted! There are lots of twists and the book is well plotted too and while there’s quite a lot going on, everything comes together really, really well. While I enjoyed the first half of the book very much, it was at about the half-way point where this book really came into its own for me. I felt that the tension intensified even more and I really didn’t see the ending coming. Overall, I’m giving The Chestnut Man 4.5 out of 5. It’s unsettling, transfixing and impossible to put down. I’m really looking forward to seeing more from Søren Sveistrup in the future! The Chestnut Man is out tomorrow! (10th January) This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. The above is an affiliate link. About the AuthorSøren Sveistrup is an internationally acclaimed scriptwriter of the Danish television phenomenon The Killing which won various international awards and sold in more than a hundred countries.
More recently, Sveistrup wrote the screenplay for Jo Nesbø's The Snowman. Sveistrup obtained a Master in Literature and in History from the University of Copenhagen and studied at the Danish Film School. He has won countless prizes, including an Emmy for Nikolaj and Julie and a BAFTA for The Killing.
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The Synopsis From the number one bestselling author, comes two electrifying novellas and three short stories published in book form for the very first time. A FATHER FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN LOSING HIS OWN LIFE, OR THAT OF HIS SON A TERRIFYING REUNION A KILLER COP WITH NOTHING TO LOSE  My Review What Dead Man’s Gift made me realise most was how much I’d been missing out on, because I had never read anything by Kernick before this book! I’m not sure how on earth I managed to miss reading his work before now, but I’ll certainly be making up for that in the coming months! For those who are well acquainted with Kernick’s work, as I’m sure is the case for many of you, his fluent and engaging writing style won’t come as a surprise but if, like me, you’ve never read Kernick’s work, this book is an absolutely wonderful introduction to his writing and will leave you wanting more. The five stories of varying lengths mean that there’s something for everyone and they cater to any length of time you have available to read. The ability to read the book in bursts, while still getting the satisfaction that comes from finishing a story, worked really well for me and I felt that knowing that the particular part of the book I was reading would be complete in one sitting, lead to me being able to focus more and let myself become totally absorbed in the read. Each individual story is fast-paced and sharply written and so gripping and intense that I often forgot what was happening around me. Overall, I’m giving Dead Man’s Gift 4.5 out of 5. Every single one of the stories is gritty, intense and packed with non-stop action. I’ll definitely be going back to read more of Kernick’s previous books. This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. The above is an affiliate link. About the AuthorSimon Kernick is one of Britain’s most exciting thriller writers. He arrived on the crime writing scene with his highly acclaimed debut novel The Business of Dying, the story of a corrupt cop moonlighting as a hitman. Simon's big breakthrough came with his novel Relentless which was the biggest selling thriller of 2007. His most recent crime thrillers include Siege, Ultimatum, Stay Alive and The Final Minute. He is also the author of the bestselling three-part serial thrillers Dead Man’s Gift and One By One.
Simon talks both on and off the record to members of the Counter Terrorism Command and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, so he gets to hear first hand what actually happens in the dark and murky underbelly of UK crime. It’s finally the 31st of December which means that another whole year has gone by! It also means that there’s been an entire year of reading - and what a fabulous year it’s been for books this year! There have been so many amazing reads that it hasn’t made it easy for me to choose my favourites, but here, in no particular order, are my favourite nine books of 2018! My Top 9 Books of 2018 Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman I knew as soon as I finished reading this, that it would make my list of my favourite books of the year. I absolutely loved it and still remember the way it made me feel whilst I was reading it. In fact I liked it so much that I said that if you only read one book in 2018, it should be Sticks and Stones.  The Rumour by Lesley Kara This book completely smashed it out of the park for me. Kara was one step ahead the whole time and masterfully kept me right where she wanted me. It was the epitome of a five star read and I couldn’t fault it. The Fear by C.L. Taylor The Fear really made me realise how much of an expert C.L Taylor is at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat! This book was a dark and unsettling rollercoaster read which had me completely addicted and reacting aloud at the twists. Murder in the Caribbean by Robert Thorogood I absolutely adored this book, it’s written with such skill and in such a warm and witty style, that it brings sunshine and a smile to even the greyest of days. With an engaging mystery at its core and an unorthodox but loveable detective leading the way, Murder in the Caribbean is an excellent addition to the Death in Paradise family and a read not to be missed. The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor The Chalk Man was a haunting, dark and absolutely hypnotising read which I stayed up way too late finishing because I simply couldn’t stop reading! It was so tense that at times I almost forgot to breathe. Bring Me Back by BA Paris This was my first five star read of 2018 and it was fully deserving of every single one of those stars. It had me mesmerised and I lost more hours of sleep reading it than I dare to count, whilst the almighty ending stayed with me long after I had finished reading.  The Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins This is one of those books that had me at the prologue and forced me to read on and on. I lied to myself throughout by thinking 'Just one more chapter' when in reality, I knew that there was no chance of tearing myself away. It was riveting, creepy and extremely engaging. My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland I loved everything about this book. What really piqued my interest though, was the exploration of ‘crowd-sourced crime solving’, ‘armchair detectives’ and online identity as I found it very thought provoking. The fact that it could so easily be a reality made the book all the more dark and tense and Marland’s fresh and different writing style brought everything to life. The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz I love the originality of Horowitz’s series featuring Daniel Hawthorne and the latest instalment was a masterfully written addition which was impossible to put down. There was humour as well as plenty of completely gripping and suspenseful scenes which left me wide eyed and enthralled. You can see all of my original reviews for the above books here: Murder in the Caribbean The Rumour by Lesley Kara The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland The Devil's Dice by Roz Watkins Bring Me Back by BA Paris The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor The Fear by C.L. Taylor The Synopsis DI Richard Poole is hot, bothered and fed up. He’s stuck on the tropical island of Saint-Marie, forced to live in a rickety old shack on a beach, and there isn’t a decent cup of tea to be found anywhere. When a boat explodes in the harbour, Richard and his team soon realise there’s a new murderer on the loose. But who is it? And why did the killer leave behind a ruby at the scene of the crime? As the police dig deeper, they uncover secrets that go back decades, and a crime from the past that can never be forgiven. Worse still, they soon realise this is only the beginning. They’ve got to catch the killer before there's another death in paradise… My Review I can’t express enough how much I love the Death in Paradise series, in both the television and book format. So the latest addition, Murder in the Caribbean, got me very excited. However if you’re new to the Death in Paradise series, don’t be put off, as there’s no need to read the books in order and you can easily start with this one and then go back to the others as you choose. Personally, I love the way that opening a Death in Paradise book is like greeting an old friend, (as you get to know the characters and their quirks better and gain more of an understanding of them the further the series progresses) and so I’d recommend starting from the first one so that you have that experience, but as I said, by no means do you have to and they can easily be read in whichever order you choose. The opening of this book is fantastic and grabbed my attention straight away. I think that Robert Thorogood is an absolutely brilliant writer with a real talent for immersing you in the story and the world he creates, with every detail brought to life on the page. His warm and witty writing style made me smile throughout and brought a very welcome hit of sunshine into a cold, grey day. As I mentioned when I reviewed the last book, Death Knocks Twice, despite Richard Poole’s unorthodox ways, you can’t help but love him and his typical ‘englishness’ and he works really well as the DI for me. In fact, all of the characters work really well and it’s not at all difficult to imagine them - at times I felt I could almost hear their voices. The plot had me engaged, with plenty of red herrings keeping me guessing in the lead up to a very satisfying ending. Overall, I’m giving Murder in the Caribbean 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s engaging, twisty and thoroughly entertaining. I couldn’t think of a better book for my last review of 2018! This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review. About the AuthorRobert Thorogood is the creator of the hit BBC One TV series DEATH IN PARADISE.
He was born in Colchester, Essex, in 1972. When he was 10-years old, he read his first proper novel – Agatha Christie’s Peril at End House – and he’s been in love with the genre ever since. He now lives in Marlow in Buckinghamshire with his wife and children. The Synopsis When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there’s no going back . . . Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea. Sally McGowan was just ten years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago – no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman. So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among them? How dangerous can one rumour become? And how far will Joanna go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she’s unleashed? My Review What. A. Book. The Rumour is one of those reads that hooks you instantly and keeps you locked in until the very last word. I didn’t find out that it was a debut until I’d finished reading and I never would’ve guessed! It really is outstanding. Kara is a master at predicting what you’ll be thinking and keeping you right where she wants you. I suspected everyone - and I mean everyone - coming up with elaborate theories about how it might all fit together, but I wouldn’t have guessed the ending in a million years! Kara was one step ahead the whole time and had me in the palm of her hand. I loved the writing style and the vividly written scenes added to the atmosphere as the sense of foreboding grew. At times it was so tense that I held my breath and towards the end the tension only grew. I don’t think I’ve ever used so many exclamation marks in my notes as when I was writing about how tense this book was!! My heart flipped at one of the final twists and I don’t think I can put it better than what I wrote in my notes at the time: WHAT. A. KILLER. TWIST. SO CLEVERLY WRITTEN. TRULY CHILLING The ending is phenomenal, so tense and emotionally charged. Just when you think it’s all over, yet another chilling detail sends you spinning once again. I absolutely loved this book. I could go on and on, but I’d rather you read the book and see for yourself, you won’t regret it. Overall I’m giving The Rumour 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five-star favourites shelf. It’s chilling, addictive and a really phenomenal read. This is the epitome of a five star read for me, I couldn’t fault it. This e-book was provided free in exchange for an honest review About the AuthorLesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives on the North Essex coast. The Rumour is her first novel.
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