Quick reviews: Three books

Introduction

I’m needing to catch up on sharing my thoughts on books that I have read this year. Here are three I read in April.

How far would you go if someone took your wife? Especially, if you buried her a week ago.

Three Weeks Dead (D.I. Hannah Robbins/ D.C. Sally Poynter Novella) by Rebecca Bradley

Book blurb

When Jason Wells is faced with this scenario, he is confronted with the prospect of committing a crime that will have far-reaching consequences.

Can young DC Sally Poynter get through to him before he crosses that line, or does a desperate husband prove to be the case she won’t ever forget?

A prequel novella, set before Shallow Waters, the first in the DI Hannah Robbins series.

My thoughts

This is a prequel to the DI Hannah Robbins series, which I have not read – yet.

The story has an unusual and rather unique premise. A body has been stolen from a grave and it’s only been a week since Jason’s wife was buried!

The story is told from both Jason and DC Sally Poynter’s point of view (POV). Sally is a fairly new policewoman and has been given the liaison role for Jason by DI Robbins.

As DI Hannah Robbins team investigates we learn about what has happened, find out why and who took Jason’s wife.

It’s a pretty well rounded novella, with an interesting premise that is well written and well paced. I very much enjoyed reading it and would gladly read more from Rebecca Bradley and this series.

Book: I received an eCopy of this novella when I signed up to the authors newsletter via her website.

Buy: AmazonSmileUK | Your local bookshop | Waterstones

Seven guests. Seven secrets. One killer. Do you dare to SLEEP?

Sleep by C.L. Taylor

Book blurb

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret, but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

My thoughts

Enjoyed this and would recommend to lovers of psychological thriller and mystery murder.

Begins in London but moves to the Scottish island of Rum. Where we are following Anna. She finds it impossible to carry on with her life in London after the car crash.

As she was driving back from a work trip with colleagues there is a fatal accident. She blames herself. Then she starts getting messages and hopes getting away will be a new start.

She is only just on Rum when customers arrive at the hotel she is working at and the weather turns so bad that they are cut of from the rest of the island. Anna finds she hasn’t left everything behind as she hoped – she can’t sleep and she realises that someone has followed her up to Rum!

A taut, psychological thriller written in the unique style of the author and is well worth reading.

Book: Purchased.

Buy: AmazonSmileUK | Your local bookshop | Waterstones

If you want to get away with murder, play by the rules

Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Book blurb

A series of unsolved murders with one thing in common: each of the deaths bears an eerie resemblance to the crimes depicted in classic mystery novels.

The deaths lead FBI Agent Gwen Mulvey to mystery bookshop Old Devils. Owner Malcolm Kershaw had once posted online an article titled ‘My Eight Favourite Murders,’ and there seems to be a deadly link between the deaths and his list – which includes Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.

Can the killer be stopped before all eight of these perfect murders have been re-enacted?

My thoughts

Let me start by saying I enjoyed this book it’s an enjoyable romp of a murder mystery. I do think, however, a little suspension of belief – of what might, indeed would happen in ‘real’ life. Take Gwen really would someone in the FBI act like that? Even though it is addressed it still left a bit of weirdness going on!

I found it quite amusing in parts although I’m not sure that you’re meant to laugh at some bits but… maybe? I’ve not read this writer before so it may just be his style?

My biggest bugbear is that it does ruin a number of books as it gives away massive spoilers which, even though I had read some of them, really was annoying.

As I said I did enjoy this book, the premise is great and if, as I did whilst reading, you can put aside the issues I’ve noted and which, of course may not bother you, I think it’s worth a read.

Book: Purchased – read for VirtualCrimeBookClub hosted by author Rebecca Bradley. Our next read is Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce who is on The Theakston Crime Long List 2020.

Buy: AmazonSmileUK | Your local bookstore | Waterstones