Today is my stop on the blog tour for Without a Trace by Carissa Ann Lynch! Thanks so much to Anne for organising the tour and don't forget to check out the rest of the stops!

Lily’s gone.
Someone took her.
Unless she was she never there…

A little girl has gone missing.
Lily was last seen being tucked into bed by her adoring mother, Nova. But the next morning, the bed is empty except for a creepy toy rabbit.
Has Nova’s abusive ex stolen his “little bunny” back for good?
At first, Officer Ellie James assumes this is a clear custody battle. Until she discovers that there are no pictures of the girl and her drawers are full of unused toys and brand new clothes that have never been worn…
Is Ellie searching for a missing child who doesn’t actually exist?

All it took was a few pages and I knew I was going to love Without a Trace. While a plot around a missing child isn’t new, the way it was approached felt fresh and not like things I’ve read before.
The characters were all well written and the layout of varying perspectives for each chapter really helped to get insights into them. At the start of each chapter it was really clear who was speaking and I didn’t find myself confused or lost at all. I enjoyed reading every single perspective, but I felt that Officer Ellie James’ was the one that I enjoyed most because I felt as though I was learning everything alongside Ellie, and the author made me doubt and question everything in these chapters.
The book was entertaining and had me riveted from the beginning right until the shocking end. I did guess one twist, but if anything, I was more pleased to find out that I had it right! I didn’t come anywhere close to guessing any of the intricate details that made up pieces of the main puzzle though and I really enjoyed the journey to seeing everything come together.
Being vague so that I don’t give too much of the plot away, the themes explored were so important and were handled extremely well by Lynch, with the final few chapters providing plenty to think about.
I’m giving Without a Trace 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five-star favourites shelf! It’s fast-paced, suspenseful and twisty. I really couldn’t fault it!

Carissa Ann Lynch is the USA Today bestselling author of My Sister is Missing, Flocksdales Files trilogy, Horror High series, Searching for Sullivan, Shades and Shadows, Midnight Moss, This Is Not About Love, 13 anthology, Twisted anthology and Without A Trace.
She resides in Floyds Knobs, Indiana with her family and collection of books. With a background in psychology and corrections, she’s always been a little obsessed with the darker areas of the human mind.
 
Website : http://www.carissaannlynchnovels.com/
Twitter : @carissaannlynch

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Worst Case Scenario by Helen FitzGerald! Thanks so much to Anne for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line.
Imprisoned for murdering his wife, Liam Macdowall has published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that has made him an unlikely hero – a poster boy for Men’s Rights Activists.
Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice ... with devastating consequences.

While I watched (and really enjoyed) The Cry when it was on tv, I’ve never actually read anything by Helen FitzGerald before, so I was really excited to get the chance to be on the blog tour for Worst Case Scenario and be able to read my first book by her!
What I really loved about this book was Mary. There’s just something about her which makes her immensely likeable no matter how many questionable decisions she makes. She’s so well developed and memorable and I haven’t read such a character driven book for a while.
Worst Case Scenario is so well written. It’s a short read so I absolutely sped through it, but it’s still got everything important in it. It’s got hilarious dark humour as well as heartbreak and sadness and FitzGerald balances these so brilliantly. It’s also an extremely addictive twisted read and a real rollercoaster ride.
Overall I’m giving Worst Case Scenario 4 out of 5. It’s gritty, dark and outrageously funny. I can’t wait to read more from Helen FitzGerald!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla! Thanks so much to Anne for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

...**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS, STAY IN YOUR HOMES**PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND DO NOT ATTEMPT THE RESCUE OF OTHERS**THIS IS A GOVERNMENT ALERT**...


IT STARTS WITH ONE PATIENT
A woman is dying in an Italian hospital, coughing up blood, convulsing and barely conscious.
BEFORE IT SPREADS TO THE TOWN
Dr Alana Vaughn, an expert from NATO, confirms everyone’s worst fears: the woman has the highly infectious disease that swept through Europe eight hundred years ago. The Black Death.
AND TAKES THE CITY
The sickness is spreading so quickly that soon the outbreak becomes a global pandemic. Markets crash and governments fall as quickly as the citizens they govern.
THEN THE COUNTRY
As panic takes hold and the death toll climbs, the consequences become horrifically clear – Alana must discover a way to stop the disease or it will be the end of us all.
THEN THE WORLD - AND WE ALL FALL DOWN

While I’ve read my fair share of thrillers, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a medical thriller before, and gosh this was an incredible introduction to the genre!
Kalla’s medical background and knowledge of the subject really comes through, whilst still allowing the story to flow. He strikes a good balance between the medical aspect and the thriller aspect of the plot to create a scarily believable and extremely thought-provoking read which keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pace is fast and intense and when combined with the use of narratives from the past and present it creates a real atmosphere and feeling of suspense.
I thought that Dr Alana Vaughn was a well developed and interesting character, as were all of her fellow characters in fact.
Overall, I’m giving We All Fall Down 5 out of 5 and adding it to my five star favourites shelf! It’s thought-provoking, expertly written and frighteningly believable. I can’t wait to read more by Kalla and I’m shocked that I’ve never read anything by him before!

​1952. Soviet troops control British streets. After the disastrous failure of D-Day, Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany, but is eventually liberated by Russian soldiers arriving from the east and Americans from the west. The two superpowers divide the nation between them, a wall running through London like a scar.
When Jane Cawson calls into her husband’s medical practice and detects the perfume worn by his former wife, Lorelei – star of propaganda films for the new Marxist regime – she fears what is between them. But when Jane rushes to confront them, she finds herself instead caught up in the glamorous actress’ death.
Nick is soon arrested for murder. Desperate to clear his name, Jane must risk the attention of the brutal secret police as she follows a trail of corruption right to the highest level of the state.
And she might find she never really knew her husband at all.
​
Set within the familiar streets of London, Rubin’s debut dystopian thriller dares to reimagine what 1950s Britain would have become under the iron rule of the Soviet Union.

​I’ve never read an alternative history book before, so I was very intrigued and excited by the synopsis for Liberation Square and absolutely jumped at the chance to join the blog tour!
This is Rubin’s first novel, but it doesn’t feel like a debut in the slightest and is very deftly written. I felt that the characters came to life on the page and I loved the addition of the real historical characters too.
The plot is so believable that it’s quite frightening to think of what could’ve been. I really enjoyed the way this book expertly combines mystery, history and a good bit of spying to create a novel that can be enjoyed by crime lovers and historical fiction lovers alike.
It’s packed with secrets and lies and there are plenty of twists to keep you on your toes too. The pace and tension really keeps you reading, as does the gripping writing which draws you in and keeps you right to the very end.
Overall, I’m giving Liberation Square 4 out of 5. It’s thrilling, intriguing and full of secrets and lies at every turn. I’m looking forward to more from Rubin! 
​

​Gareth Rubin is an author and journalist who has written for many national newspapers. He lives in London; Liberation Square is his first novel.

Today is my stop on the blog tour for You Die Next by Stephanie Marland! Thank you so much to Alex for organising the tour and don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

You can run - but you can't hide...

When a group of urban explorers stumble across a murderer's kill room in a derelict film studio, terror strikes. And when one of the group is found dead, the team realise - they're being hunted.
DI Dominic Bell is investigating the murder, but as the body count rises, time is running out. The only person who can help him is a figure from his past, Clementine Starke - but Clementine is haunted by her own demons. Can the two of them pair up to catch the killer? Or is it already too late?

I was on the blog tour for the first book in this series, My Little Eye, and I absolutely fell in love with Marland’s writing. As soon as I started reading You Die Next I instantly remembered why that was. The short chapters which flick between perspectives keep the pacy, fresh feel while the multi modal aspects such as the messages and live streams make the plot totally original and contemporary and Marland’s skilful writing keeps you hanging on to every word.
As I mentioned above, this book is the second in the series and while the case from the previous book plays a big part in this one, it’s explained in enough detail so that you’ll have no problem understanding if you haven’t read the first book. Additionally the main plot regarding the ‘Urbexers’ is standalone so you can jump right into that, however I think that to get a proper insight into the characters’ relationships, particularly Clementine’s relationships with others and specifically with Dom, you’d benefit from reading the first book too. (And trust me, that’s far from a chore!)
The plot has a really up to date feel with unique and well-developed characters and themes throughout. I did guess who the culprit was towards the end, but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all as not only was I compelled to keep reading to see if I was right, but the tension and action really ramped up so I couldn’t have stopped reading even if I’d wanted to!
Overall, I’m giving You Die Next 5 out of 5! It’s riveting, contemporary and entirely unique. I’m going to have to try really hard to be patient for the next book in the series!!