Blind Alley

Three young women have been raped over the past two months, the violence escalating each time.  DI Jack Brady has been assigned the cases.  And now it appears that a fourth victim has been found in nearby North Shields.  Brady is shocked when he realises that he knows the most recent victim; she was his brother Nick’s girlfriend.  Also the method of attack is somewhat different.

Who was after his brother Nick, and why?  Could it be related to a previous case that Brady had worked on and which involved Nick?  Why would DI Bentley, who is in charge of the last case, say that all of them are tied together when he knows that they aren’t?

Brady’s team finally has a suspect in their sights, but he seems to have gone to ground.  But then, why would he turn himself in?  His girlfriend is able to give him solid alibis for each of the nights in question.  So, who was driving his car, then?  Things go sideways when DCI Gates releases the suspect due to outside pressure.

A murder case is forced on Brady, and in quickly solving it, he also solves a rape case.  The killer is imprisoned, but kills in prison, too.  What is going on?

Brady is not prepared to give up on his original case.  Can he solve it before the rapist strikes again?

Author Danielle Ramsay’s thriller is brutal and dark.  Her writing reminds me of Ian Rankin.  A good read.

The Thief Taker

London, 1665 and plague roams the city.

Charlie Tuesday is a thief taker, but has been approached by a young woman by the name of Maria, to have him find a plague doctor who killed her sister.  She is prepared to pay him handsomely. When he goes to view her sister’s body, she traps him in the house.  Why?  When Charlie looks closely at the body he sees that she has been branded with a mark like the special key he owns.  She has brought back guards to arrest him.

Charlie manages to escape, with the help of some friends.  Now he needs to prove his innocence.  To do so, he needs to enter some of the worst plague area of London.  There he learns that he is a hunted man; the king has provided funds for his arrest.

A second woman is killed and left with the same mark on her.  She had been a prostitute, so her pimp provides more money to the mayor of London and his aide to see to Charlie’s arrest.

Charlie’s investigations lead him to discover that the killer is trying to arm an army.  However, the watch are close on his heels.  Surprisingly it is Maria who helps him escape.  They set off in pursuit of the killer, but can they stop him before he kills again?  His plan includes two more victims for his magic to work.

Will Charlie and Maria be able to prevent the two deaths?  Can they survive the plague?  Author C. S. Quinn has plenty to trials and tribulations awaiting the pair in this fast paced thriller.  A good, quick read.

Smoke and Mirrors

In Brighton, DI Edgar Stephens has a case of missing children on his hands.  The snowy weather isn’t helping either.  His team learns that the children had been involved in preparing a play, which the girl had written.  The army is brought in to help with the search.

Sadly the bodies of the children are found near Hove.  They appear to have been strangled.  Edgar is sure that the way the bodies were laid out, they were meant to be found; it seemed so staged.  He asks his friend, Max Mephisto, for help.  It isn’t long before they are joined by Stan Parker, The Great Diablo, another member of The Magic Men during the war.  From the latter he learns that on of the actors in a play currently running in Brighton was in a play prior to the First World War in which a child actor was murdered.  The current producer of the play is the son of the man who produced the play where the child actor was killed.

Could the two cases be linked?  Will the killer strike again?

Edgar received a mysterious letter from the teacher of the victims.  When he goes around to see her, her finds her dead.  She too, has been strangled.  Things go from bad to worse when the younger sister of one of the first victims disappears.

As author Elly Griffiths’ young victim is said to enjoy a twist in her plays, so does the author in this story.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.  I’m sure that you will enjoy this mystery as much as I did.

Lenin's Roller Coaster

Jack McColl is in Egypt working for His Majesty while his American lover, Caitlin Hanley is working as a reporter in revolutionary Russia.  Barely back together for a day in Scotland and the pair find out that the Bolshevik revolution has occurred in Russia.  Caitlin immediately heads off for Petrograd.  Returning to London, McColl finds himself tasked with causing mayhem in the Middle East to prevent supplies from getting through to the Germans.  But he has to wait a considerable length of time before heading out.

In Petrograd, Caitlin is impressed by what the Bolsheviks have done in ten short days.  But by December conditions had gotten worse.  The Cheka was established to stop attempts to disrupt the revolution.  Caitlin is told by her editor to either Coke home or resign.  She is reluctant to leave, but a Bolshevik friend tells her to go home and become a voice there for the revolution..

McColl is joined by Audrey Cheselden and the pair head off from Baghdad for Meshed; a trip that took a month.  Unfortunately while McColl was out trying to negotiate with members of the local soviet, in Ashkhabad, Cheselden's throat was slashed.  McColl needs to get out of there.  How will he manage to do that?  Fortunately there are those who are willing to help.

Having returned to the USA, Caitlin is shocked at how perceptions have changed since the country entered the war.  She is disillusioned, so decides to return to Russia via Vladivostok.  She travels on the Trans-Siberian Railway.  The trip is interrupted many times for a variety of reasons.  When she hears that the czar and his family is held in Yekaterinburg she decides to take a side trip there only to find herself detained by the Cheka.

McColl's trek is also westward.  In Sevastopol he learns that he is to head to Kiev.  There his plans to commit sabotage go awry and he has to leave suddenly for Moscow.  However on his way there he is captured by the Germans.

Will either McColl or Caitlin make it to Moscow, or have their respective journeys come to an end?  Author David Downing's thriller is full of action and portrays Russia as it was in the early months of the Bolshevik revolution, and the terror that would ensue.  A gripping read, and hard to put down.

A True and Faithful Brother

Frances Doughty has been asked to investigate a case of a missing man.  The strange thing is, he went missing from a locked room in which there were several other men at the same time.  Shortly thereafter a body is found in the fuel store of a nearby house.  It has been attacked by rats, however there is enough evidence to point to it being the body of the man Frances was engaged to locate.  She feels that her duty is done.

Not long after this an estate agent is murdered by someone.  He had shown the house where the first victim was murdered to the victim.  Could the two cases be related?  During the second inquest, suspicion falls on the son-in-law of the first victim.  Against her best wishes, Frances is engaged by his wife to gather information, which will prove his innocence.

Without any help on her part, a witness changes her testimony, so Frances is freed of further investigation.  Later, the man comes to her asking her to help clear his name.  However, it isn't long after this that the police accuse Frances of being the killer.  Their case is built on circumstantial evidence.  Fortunately they don't charge her with anything.  However, all of that is about to change.

As author Linda Stratmann's heroine, Frances states, a spider's web exists in this mystery.  Who is the spider and what will become of its victims?  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Iron Castle

Robin, Earl of Locksley has just sworn fealty to King John, and been given the promise of the return of his lands.  His friend Alan Dale was with him at the castle in Nottingham for this momentous occasion.  However, Robin is not happy because the king has not set his seal to the parchment granting Robin his former place.

Now that Robin is his man, John has sent him to Normandy to ensure that it stays part of his kingdom.  After a year of poor harvests on his land, Alan joins Robin who is known there as the Wolf Lord.  Alan is placed in charge of a Company of Wolves, which includes his good friend Little John.  They travel to Falaise where they will patrol.

Later the company travels south with King John to Mirabeau.  There a successful battle results in the capture of Duke Arthur.  Alan is given the responsibility of escorting him back to Falaise.  Unfortunately Little John is badly injured in the fighting.  After some time, Dale is told to transfer Duke Arthur to Rouen where King John awaits.  Will the Duke survive this encounter?

Shortly after this, King Philip of France lays siege to Chateau Gaillard, the Iron Castle.  John thinks that he can get enough food to the castle that it will be able to withstand the siege for a year.  However, the attempt is fruitless.  Robin, Dale and his squire, Kit manage to survive the attempt and make it inside the castle.  Built by King Richard, Chateau Gaillard was deemed impregnable.  Will they be able to survive a long siege?

What remains of the story is one of battles, death and treachery.  Angus Donald has taken historical fact and written a tremendous novel of historical fiction, which I found hard to put down.

Secrets of Death

DI Ben Cooper has been called out to a sudden death.  A man has been found dead in his car.  It appears that the man has committed suicide by using helium.  But why is there a card on the dash of the car with what seems to be an online password and the words "Secrets of Death"?

There had been a number of suicides in the area recently.  Some were classifying them as "Suicide Tourism".  Ben is concerned that the suicides may linked in some way.

Unbeknownst to Ben, DS Diane Fry is involved in an investigation of the victim he has on his hands.

A few days later a woman commits suicide on Ben's brother's farm in a caravan, which she had rented.  In this case the victim had been suffering from terminal cancer.  However, Ben is more convinced that someone is controlling these suicides.

Author Stephen Booth does tie the cases together, but in an unexpected way.  A very good, quick read.

The Bird That Did Not Sing

It is August 2013 and Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been called out to the site of a large explosion.  Was it terrorists doing a dry run in preparation for the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games or something else?  Because it was terror related, the case was passed on to Special Branch.

At this same time, Lorimer's old high school sweetheart has arranged a twenty year reunion.  That same night her husband passes away in their apartment.  She has no one to turn to, so Lorimer and his wife take her in.  Tox screen tests show that the man didn't die of a heat attack, but rather from  poison that made it look like a heart attack.  Later, when Lorimer returned to the apartment he found nothing that could point to suicide; this looked more like a homicide.

Lorimer's plate is filling up fast as he now has an additional murder case.  A young woman has been killed and left out in the countryside.  Because he is friends with the widow of the other case, he is taken off of it, allowing him to focus on the latter.

A tattoo artist is found who had applied a tattoo to a young girl, similar to the victim.  However, the address given was fictitious.  Does Lorimer have a human smuggling ring on his hands?

As Sir Walter Scott said in a poem "Oh! What a tangled web we weave when we practise to deceive", so too is the plot of Alex Gray's thriller 'The Bird That Did Not Sing'.  A thoroughly enjoyable read that was very hard to put down.

He Who Fears the Wolf

Chief Inspector Konrad Sejer has been called out to a very brutal murder.  The following day on his way in to work, a bank he has just passed is robbed.  The robber got away with a hostage.  Since Sejer is a witness, Jacob Skarre is tasked with investigating the murder.

A young man who was incarcerated in an asylum has escaped.  He was seen in the vicinity of the murder, and then recognised by a policeman who knows him as the hostage.  When Sejer meets with the director of the asylum, she fiercely defends the man who has escaped, stating that there is no way he would have killed.

Author Karin Fossum's thriller isn't so much about the police's search for the killer, and bank robber, but rather more about the minds of the latter, which is a very different twist on a murder mystery thriller.  A good read.

Treachery

Tom Kydd's ship Teazer has returned to Plymouth after a successful voyage.  Unfortunately Tom's heart and mind are not in it because while he was at sea, his love, Rosalynd died.  It isn't long before the ship is assigned the Channel Islands patrol.  Added to the crew before departure were a number of Royal Marines.  Due to his grief, and moroseness, the crew begins to grumble.

The first task assigned for Teazer by Admiral Saumarez is to check on Napoleon's invasion fleet being prepared at Granville.  Taking Teazer in close was nigh on impossible due to shoals, so Kydd, Renzi and Stirk used a small fishing smack to do just that.  In the end, it was a neat run thing.  It is decided to bomb the port from sea.  However, things aboard Teazer do not improve.  Renzi tells him the men are on the verge of mutiny.  When a second man warns him, Kydd's eyes are opened and his attitude changes.

Following that, Kydd was given a secret mission to pick up a package on the French coast.  He couldn't even let his crew know about it.  When the ship returns to Guernsey, Kydd is taken to the admiral and accused of using the ship for his own personal use.  He is relieved of his command.

Kydd decides to stay on Guernsey to try and clear his name.  His friend, Renzi decides to stay with him.  However, due to their financial situation, Renzi decides to move to St. Helier on Jersey while Kydd stays in St. Peter Port.  Renzi finds work with the squadron commander on Jersey while Kydd finds work with a drama group.  Each will provide interesting play.

Author Julian Stockwin has plenty of exciting action awaiting Kydd and Renzi in the remaining pages.  A thoroughly enjoyable read, which was very hard to put down.  I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.

King of Kings ~ Warriors of Rome

Ballista and a few of his men, have managed to escape annihilation on the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire.  When Ballista arrives in Antioch he is surprised to find that Emperor Valerian is in the city.  Will he be able to speak to him to warn him of the Persian invasion happening on the eastern edge of his empire?  Fortunately he is able to do so, but in telling his story he makes enemies.

It isn't long before Ballista is appointed to lead a force against some of the advancing enemy.  But before he can leave, he is attacked twice.  Why would the attacker say something about a nobleman wanting him dead, and which nobleman?

How was Ballista to handle the insubordination of a patrician cavalry officer?  Will Glabrio's impetuousness bring disaster or glory?  Victory is achieved, but not the complete victory envisioned by Ballista.

For a year, Ballista is out of favour with Emperor Valerian.  Then, all of a sudden he is called upon to persecute the Christians in Ephesus.  Why?  There he is to condemn the Christians to death or forfeiture of property and exile.  It is not long before he is sickened by his role.  He stops the persecution and is recalled to Antioch.

Sometime later, he is sent as an ambassador to the enemy.  However, a truce was unacceptable to the enemy.  Will the Roman army survive or be annihilated?

Harry Sidebottom's historical novel is based on actual events, and is an excellent read for fans of historical fiction.

Murder in Retribution

DCI Acton and DC Doyle are at the scene of a murder when Acton receives a call to attend another crime scene.  It would appear that they might be dealing with a gang war.  It turns out that the first victim was Russian and the second victim Irish; the two groups involved in the turf war.  Because Acton is busy with other cases, he put DS Williams in charge of the cases.

Surprisingly, the pair find a witness with photographs of a leader of the Russian mafia carrying a gun.  Unfortunately it is at this time that Doyle suffers a miscarriage.

Within a short time, the Russian is in custody.  Doyle wonders if they have the right culprit, so she checks the crime scene again with Williams.  Later that evening, her priest visits her and Acton, wondering if Doyle is being poisoned.

Why would the Russian mafia leader be attacked in jail and why would he refuse to identify the man who attacked him?

Author Anne Cleeland has more death and mayhem in store for the reader in this murder mystery.  A good read.