Monday 3 April 2023

March 2023 Reads


March was another month of thrillers, of the five read only three are new books, even the audiobook I listened to isn't new. However, I thoroughly enjoyed each book.

The month started with Perfect Prey by Helen Fields. I'm working through the Luc Callanach series and this is the second book. The story builds on the relationship between Callanach and Turner that we were introduced to in book one. The relationship is on rocky ground though as someone from Turner's past appears on the scene. The pace is blistering and the crimes shocking. There are plenty of twists to keep you turning the page. I'm already looking forward to diving into the next book in the series.

Next up was Eleven Liars from Robert Gold, the sequel to Twelve Secrets. The story follows on closely from the first book so readers will be familiar with many of the characters. Following a fire in the derelict community centre attached to the local church secrets which have been hidden for twenty years come to light. The novel starts slowly, introducing a wide range of characters. The intricate plot eventually reveals all the connections and keeps you gripped to the end.

Will Dean has a loyal following on Twitter and I see regular praise for his novels. When the opportunity to review The Last Passenger came up I jumped at the chance, particularly as the premise of the story sounds intriguing. Caz Ripley wakes after her first night onboard an ocean liner to discover that she is completely alone. I was gripped from the opening page. The story is surreal, I really don't want to give away any spoilers. My heart was in my mouth as I read, wondering how Caz was going to deal with each challenge that was thrown at her. I'll certainly be adding the authors back catalogue to my TBR.

Another series I'm working my way through is the Maeve Kerrigan books by Jane Casey. March saw me diving in to The Reckoning. When someone starts murdering pedophiles a moral question is raised, is the murderer doing society a service? Kerrigan is determined to give the victims as much justice as any other murder victim, especially as some of the convictions appear questionable. The story quickly takes a turn when the daughter of a violent criminal goes missing. It is great to see Kerrigan forging her way in the male dominated team, and gaining an ally when another woman joins the team. Much more interesting though is the introduction of DI Josh Derwent. Sparks fly between Kerrigan and Derwent, and not in a good way.

Final book of the month was The Launch Party by Lauren Forry. The plot is brilliant, ten individuals win a competition to be the first guests to stay in a luxury hotel on the moon. Once they arrive though they discover that the hotel is completely deserted and it will be three days before they can be rescued. All indications are that they are taking part in an extreme reality TV show, until one of them is murdered. I was hooked from the beginning as, a bit like an Agatha Christie novel, any one of the guests could be the murderer. 

Only one audiobook this month, The Catch by T. M. Logan. I've read a couple of the authors novels and loved them, however I think The Catch is the best yet. A father is convinced his daughter's new boyfriend is hiding something. Determined to uncover the truth, a cat and mouse game ensues and his life begins to spiral out of control. This works so well as an audiobook, I was completely absorbed by the story.

More detailed reviews of each book are available on my blog.

Publication dates to watch out for are:-

The Last Passenger by Will Dean will be published on 11th May 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Launch Party by Lauren Forry will be published on 22nd June 2023 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

 

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