Tag: crime fiction

Categories
crime fiction Fiction

She Had It Coming, Carys Jones

In the middle of a school cross country run a girl goes missing. It’s Pippa’s best friend, Heather. Heather is pretty, popular, and your stereotypical ‘mean girl’.

Most people think Heather ran away for the attention… Others say girls like her always get what’s coming to them.

Firstly, to set expectations She Had It Coming isn’t an exhilarating thriller – more a slow burning crime journey. It’s not full of twists and turns but instead has a predictable storyline. However, aside from something at the end which I cannot understand, the plot is easy to follow and addictive.

The characters were so well written – I could almost feel myself sitting back at school myself. The typical popular/mean girls, the girls who always come top of everything, the gossiping mums at the gates- stereotypical but so realistic! Not only was the day-to-day portrayal of the teenage girls written exceptionally (which is reinforced through the letter writing) but I also loved the dynamics between the characters, particularly that of the two best friends- I am sure many of us have had a ‘toxic’ friendship in our life and can relate to the love/hate relationship.

Key themes in the book include how far people are willing to go for their children, which I found particularly intriguing, as well as female friendships and the ugliness which can hide under the complexities of them.

Overall, four stars.

Categories
crime fiction Fiction Thriller

The Anniversary, Laura Marshall

On 15th June 1994 Travis Green walked through the streets of Hartstead and killed eleven of his neighbours. The final victim was four-year-old Cassie Colman’s father.

With the twenty-fifth anniversary approaching, the Hartstead shooting is brought back into the limelight and, like many, Cassie would rather forget the past. That is, until she discovers something which suggests that those murders did not happen quite like everyone said. However, unlike Cassie, not everyone is so keen for her to dig up the past.

The Anniversary is quite possibly the best crime fiction book I have read in a very, very long time. Having read one of Laura Marshall’s books before and remembering how much I enjoyed it, I was keen to read The Anniversary, and wow, it lived up to my expectations and more! I was thoroughly hooked the entire way through.

Some crime fiction books are predictable but this one was not in the slightest. The entire way through I was kept in suspense, and I truly did not expect any of the twists and turns.

Themes in the book included violence (including domestic violence), becoming a first time parent, single parenting, questioning morals and dementia. I thought the themes were handled sensitively and I actually really enjoyed how the author explored the idea of new parenting and how other parents make it look easy. Whilst I am not a parent myself, I enjoyed the whole façade vs. reality, and how the author dared to go down the route of a character who doesn’t make motherhood look like a breeze. I am sure a lot of parents will appreciate this.

I was sad to get to the end of this book and cannot wait for the next release by Laura Marshall.  All in all The Anniversary was a compelling read, full of twists and turns, and worthy of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Anniversary will published on the 5th August.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

The Whole Truth, Cara Hunter

A few years ago I read Close to Home by Cara Hunter and was so surprised at the end that I had to read the final chapter twice, so I was super excited to read The Whole Truth, and to see whether it was as good as I had remembered Close to Home had been.

The Whole Truth cleverly revolves around two mysteries. One involves an investigation of an alleged rape of a male student by a female professor, and the other the death of a woman, who is feared to have been killed by a serial rapist. Both storylines had me captured as they were full of twists and turns and led to unpredictable endings.

Themes touched upon in this book include sexism, power and gender politics. I thought Cara displayed these themes in a very thought-provoking way as she tied in real life examples such as the #MeToo movement.

Whilst this is book No. 5 in the DI Adam Fawley saga, the story stands alone. As I previously stated, I have read one other book in this series but did not find having not read the others to negatively impact the story. However, if you are still not convinced then the author does kindly include a rundown of all the characters at the start of the book. This is great for not only people who haven’t read the other books in the series, but also for those who may need a little refresher.

Overall, a really gripping read. Cara Hunter really does have a talent for ‘WhoDunIt’ storylines!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Categories
Fiction Thriller

The Pact, Amy Heydenrych

Freya has not had the easiest path to her success. Her mother gave her up when she was a baby, she was passed from family to family and she lived in her car because she couldn’t afford to rent when she first went to college. So, when Freya gets her dream job at high tech company Atypical, she is thrilled.

Freya discovers that Atypical headhunted her and she very quickly shows quite how skilled she is. She makes a great impression in her first few weeks, especially on her new colleague Jay.

Unfortunately, whilst all seems to be going well for Freya this is short lived as co-worker, and Jay’s ex, Nicole, begins to bully Freya. After weeks of being tormented, Freya snaps and Jay hatches a plan to get back at Nicole playing a prank. It was only supposed to be a joke, but no one is laughing when the next morning Nicole is found dead.

I really enjoyed this dark novel and Amy Heydenrych never left behind many clues as to what would happen next. Whilst exploring topics such as office bullying, sexual harassment and gender inequality, this compelling novel will have you guessing to the very end with twists and turns right to the very end. Told through the voices of Freya and a journalist Isla, the truth about what happened that night unfolds.