Shorts: August 2019 by Kiwi
A great selection of reads from the gang over at Bloodhound Books was among my August pile of ARC’s - they were reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads, but unfortunately, I just didn’t have time to get them up between vacation and back-to-school stuff. So, they’re among the first to go into the new “Shorts” category here on Bookish Biker. Enjoy!
The Grave Digger's Boy by R.R. Newman
Released: Aug 19, 2019Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Kiwi Rated It:
View Title On: Goodreads
Get A Copy: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
As a boy, Ben was a witness in the disappearance and suspected murder of a beautiful young woman, Esther Garrett, which lead to an intense adolescent obsession.
Twenty years later, the conviction of her murdered is overturned due to a police corruption scandal. Ben’s obsession is reawakened when Esther’s sister asks for his help investigating the crime.
As Ben is drawn deeper into the case, he will be forced to face the truth about his own life and soon finds himself questioning everything he ever believed.
Was Esther really murdered?
And if so, could the killer be closer to home than anyone ever imagined?
Ben, having been a witness to the disappearance of a young girl from her father’s bus, returns home many years later with a re-kindled obsession to the case that haunted his youth. We’re handed two timelines as Ben relives his 11-year-old viewpoint, and the present, where he tries to unravel the secrets, lies, and half-truths to get to the bottom of what happened.
The result is a fantastic cast of characters, wonderful pacing with awesome tension-building, and even if you figure out who our culprit is, you won’t be prepared for what goes down when that reveal finally arrives!
R. R. Newman is definitely on my list of must-read authors!
The Regret by Dan Malakin
Released: Aug 20, 2019Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Kiwi Rated It:
View Title On: Goodreads
Get A Copy: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Rachel Stone’s world was destroyed by a stalker, Alan Griffin. After he went to prison, she rebuilt her life.
Now she has a three-year-old daughter and is in a new relationship. But someone is stalking her again. Her phone, her emails and her social media are hacked.
Rachel believes it’s Griffin, out of prison and looking for revenge. She needs to find him and make him leave her alone. But as Rachel is drawn into a hunt, she realises that something even more horrific is happening - something that will make her confront the childhood that has lingered like a ghost, and will force her to face the truth about her new life.
Is Griffin the one ruining her life? Or is someone else, someone far more dangerous, responsible?
I’m one of those fussy reviewers who rarely give 5 stars, but The Regret by Dan Malakin is definitely worth every one!
Mr. Malakin winds together wonderfully written characters with well-researched and believable backstories with enough misdirection, twists and turns to keep you guessing, then pulls it all together with one of the best (and surprising) endings I’ve read all year.
Terrifying, tense and emotional - this one will keep you up all night!
Hidden by Lisa Sell
Released: Aug 27, 2019Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Kiwi Rated It:
View Title On: Goodreads
Get A Copy: Amazon or Barnes & Noble
The truth lies in the darkest places…
Jen Taylor has a secret.
In 1987 the body of fourteen-year-old Kelly was found on a railway track and Jen believes she was responsible for her death.
Now an adult, Jen is approached by Kelly’s mother, who asks her to help investigate her daughter’s murder.
But Jen is hiding more than anyone knows.
As the investigation is reopened by Jen, along with her former friend Claire, secrets from the past come to light and when another murder takes place, the case takes a sinister turn.
Did Jen really kill Kelly and can she ever right the wrongs of the past?
Lisa Sell’s Hidden is a crime thriller which you won’t be able to put down, it’s perfect for readers who enjoy books like Claire McGowan’s What You Did and C.L. Taylor’s Sleep. As well as for fans of authors like Louise Jensen, Rachel Abbott and Heidi Perks.
Lisa Sell’s debut novel, Hidden, is an absolute ride! When a grieving mother, diagnosed with cancer, is desperate to solve the mystery surrounding her daughter’s death, she inadvertently asks Kelly’s killer to help. What follows is a web so twisted, you can’t help but turn the pages.
Told in two timelines - the 1980s and the present - Hidden brings together so many well-written characters that are immensely charming and utterly despicable (sometimes both). Their backstories, loaded with secrets, lies, and dysfunction, pull you in and leave you with a feeling of relatability that is rare in the genre. Establishing those layered backstories means the start is a little slow, but it’s quick to abate once the twists and turns and little red herrings start seeping in, and little by little, the pace picks up, the suspense builds, and you’re hit with an ending that you won’t see coming.
If you’re an 80’s kid like me, you’ll definitely get a kick out of the references, but even if you’re just a general psychological thriller fan, Lisa Sell is definitely an author you should have on your bookshelf!
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