Review: Splinter the Silence

Splinter the Silence by Val McDermid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Big changes, leaked information to the press and a self-set task turns into a real murder investigation. Brutal, very up-to-date with the theme of cyber-bullying, misogynists against feminists, hacking and murders.
Disturbing though, that the disregard for (privacy) laws is used to track down people and the higher-ups know but tend to turn a blind eye. For once I would like to read a book there the main group of investigators sticks to the rules and the law.
Not really full 5 stars, more like 4.5 rounded up for that behaviour.
Highly recommended page-turner, a few lose ends for reading the next book.

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Review: Cross and Burn

Cross and Burn by Val McDermid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! So many books, but these still stand out.
Setting is in the UK, and this book part of the Carol Jordan-Tony Hill-series, should not be read as a standalone.
Too much happened in the books before and the last one before this The Retribution is a must read with it devastating conclusion and fall-out of the MC's.
Brutal and no easy solutions.
Not for the faint of heart, rape, torture and mutilation - but then that is a given for this series, where sometimes even the MC suffer during the story.
Extrem highly recommended, and unlike some others in the series, no dragging plot in the middle.
One of the best of the series. For Fans of Simon Becketts David Hunter-series and Mo Hayders Jack Caffery-series (with a second series in between "The Walking Man"). Currently reading the next in the series, could not wait (and had both this, and the next pre-ordered and on my TBR for quite some time).

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Review: Imago

Imago by Celina Grace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After I read the first and second in the series, as I got them for free, I wanted to read the third, and found I already bought it - together with the first and second as a bundle/omnibus just 2 months earlier.
So I can read this now, and it was as good as the others. Not 5 stars, and could have done with a few twists during the book (most where at the ending).
Shorter, I think, but that is ok for me. Not entirely page-turner, a bit too much thinking and romance. POV alternating between MC Kate and the Killer, with a nice twist when the killer is revealed and a few just before that.

Still, highly recommended. As with the books before, not really feeling it that the setting is in the UK, others have done this better. More romance, and a little sex, but not described or explicit. Like the stile, but something is missing for me. There next 3 are also available as a cheaper bundle, so I will probably buy these when I feel like it and read them. But if nothing changes, I think the series might sink to 3.5 stars - rounded down to 3.

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Review: Don't Turn Around

Don't Turn Around by Caroline Mitchell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Without thinking and without skimming the blurbs, I bought both this and the second Time to Die book in the series for a reasonable price after picking up the third for 0.99 Eur a month ago - I tend to read series in order, mostly.
So I wanted a UK based page-turner crime. What I got was meh. Skimming a few 4 and 5 star reviews and with the supernatural twist revealed, I thought, this might really be good (or should be at least).
Well, not for me. The setting was UK, ok, some expressions and a little bit of scenery was good, but not enough for me, could have been way more english. And from the blurb and the reviews I was expecting a page-turner, I wonder which book the others read they are reviewing, not this one.
Instead, like some really good books I read (Val McDermid comes to mind, there it happens a few times) at around 40-44% there is certain lack of story, not enough action, no suspense and too many side-stories which only function together when all is revealed in the end and it comes together. But that does not save it for me. Having bought the next two books already I have wasted my money, but might look into them to fast-forward read them if they get better.
Sometimes the writing gets better after the author has settled and written more, the late Eva Hudson comes to mind (although the series took a nosedive for me with the takeover of the writing after her death by her friend and editor and I abandoned it), so here is hoping.
The MC is ok, and the background is interesting, but the writing is not. To explain that, the author has published a non-fiction book about a real, documented haunting that took place in the house she (her family) bought. That could be interesting, but I have not read it yet, and that does nothing for the suspense and possible entertainment I wanted from this book.

So this is not really recommended, barely warranting 3 stars for a good idea and a start of a series (and does this count as a debut? not sure about that).

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Review: Eeny Meeny

Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Waited with buying this till the price sank to my desired level, and bought both Kindle and Audible versions.
Very dark beginning leaning on borrowing from the SAW movies. Not for the faint of heart.
Very well done in describing the problems of the destroyed but still surviving victims.
Not entirely satisfied with the ending, it was to be expected, would have liked a twist there.
As with other authors, the MC makes the usual mistake of going places alone and without telling anyone, hopefully this will not happen to often in the next books in the series.
Setting is UK, so expect a few different words and places, but the usual f-word is used time and time again, like in US-written books, I am so tired of it, can do without it, but maybe a sign of how much influence the US (TV/books) has in the UK.

Highly recommended, will read more in this series, from this author.

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Review: Deadly Lies

Deadly Lies by Chris Patchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is mostly everything I wish for in a good present-day crime book:
dark, suspenseful, twisted, features sex, drugs and rock'n roll (really), modern technology, cybercrime. And violence, but not detailed and not very graphic, but rape is mentioned.

So why is not 5stars? The missing star is for the Cybercrime scenes.
These should have been more detailed, with the couple of MC's both in the business (IT and Cybercrime) and met before marrying at a security IT course (Network penetration). The IT in this book is sound, but for me and probably other nerds could have been way more detailed.
Ending also surprisingly dark, and interesting twist.

Standalone, highly recommended, will read more from this author.

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Review: Crimson Shore

Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To fully understand this book you should have read a few, preferable all, of the 14 (!) books in the series before this one.
As a standalone you will miss out on some nuances of the story.
Although I rated this 5 stars and think it is one of the best in the series, I think the series has run its course and should be ended.

Two intertwined stories complicated and as often with these books on the fringe of science, you have to suspend believe at times which may not sit well for all readers.
The devastating cliffhanger ending saved it somehow, although some villain from the past pops up again (not named, you can only guess). Despite being killed without a body or proof. Like Nazis (which popped up in The Helen Trilogy of this series) bringing back supposedly dead people is something I can do without -which is to say I hate it, when that happens. Well, we will see how it plays out, hopefully with the next book.

Also to further being not comfortable with that, this could warrant reading every book again, just to see wether continuation is logical. Meh, another thing I can do without now.
Next book is supposed to be published October 18th, 2016 and I pre-ordered it already. Like so many others (current count for October is 14 ebooks for just a little over 100 Eur).

Recommended for fans of the series, complicated, not entirely page-turner quality, saved the 5th star with the open cliffhanger ending leading into the next book.

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