Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT ARDENT JUSTICE by Peter Taylor-Gooby Financial #Thriller

Today’s team review is from Judith, she blogs at http://judithbarrowblog.com/

Judith has been reading Ardent Justice by Peter  Taylor-Gooby

My Review:

It could be seen churlish to be in any way negative about Ardent Justice, especially as the reader is told up front that the book is  endorsed by Polly Toynbee and that the book is inspired by such eminent authors as Zoe Fairbairns and Lionel Shriver. And that all profits will go to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. But the mention of this somehow grated on me; it was as though I was being challenged to find any fault in the novel.

So, gripe over and having said that I will try to be as balanced as I can in this review.

Starting with the Blurb. There are too many small details in the second paragraph that is more or less repeated in the last. I’m not sure the second paragraph is needed. Hmm…

I enjoyed parts of the book. It’s an interesting, intricate  plot and, on the whole, I did like the author’s writing style.

Endorsed as a  feminist thriller, I can see why Ade is the strong protagonist and Paul a secondary character. But, for me, these characters didn’t come to life as I would have liked them to. Told from the perspective of Ade, I didn’t feel the anger in her that was warranted, with all that happens in the story.

There is also a lot of emphasis on how small and vulnerable Paul is which would have been all right but constant reference to this felt odd in comparison with him being portrayed as a protector of the homeless and a trouble maker by the police.

And I didn’t feel that the two characters formed a realistic relationship.

The dialogue attributed to Ade felt more like ‘telling’ instead of her talking and the internal dialogue was too stilted, too correct in the structure of the syntax, although the dialogue of other characters was good.

The descriptions of the settings gave a good sense of place and although the dreams sections slowed the action they were evocative and did sometimes reveal the turmoil of the protagonist’s mind.

I was in two minds about the ending; the hope that the two characters would be finally able to provide care for the homeless was uplifting but the knowledge that there would still be corruption and sexism in the City of London and that nothing could stop it was depressing.

I think the book would benefit from tighter editing.

All in all this book wasn’t really a book for me but will, I think, appeal to readers who enjoy, the cut and thrust of a city’s financial shenanigans.

Book Description

Ade is a tax-inspector. She hates the City of London. She hates the endless corruption, the bland assumption that tax is for the little people. She hates the casual sexism, the smug self-assurance, the inviolability of the men she deals with, and the cold certainty that nothing you can do will ever touch them.
She finds herself in the world of the rootless, marginal street homeless who live meagre lives in the shadow of the office blocks that house the rich. She meets Paul, an Occupy activist who works with homeless people. As their love for each other grows, they find real fulfilment in fighting for the rights of ordinary people, such as Gemma, a homeless single parent.
Ardent Justice is a gripping feminist thriller, endorsed by Polly Toynbee, the leading Guardian columnist. It tells the story of Ade’s struggle against the City and for her own integrity, and of her love for Paul, and of how hard it is to live a morally good life in a corrupted world. It has been inspired by Zoe Fairbairns and Lionel Shriver and will appeal to fans of character-led thrillers. Profits will be donated to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

“Good to find a novel with a strong social message about the way we live now”

Polly Toynbee, The Guardian

About the author

My novels deal with how people live their lives in a diverse globalised capitalist world. In ‘Ardent Justice’, Ade struggles against the corruption of the City of London, where high finance and street homelessness flourish cheek by jowl. In ‘The Baby Auction’ Ed and Matt struggle to lead a passionate, humane and generous life in a world dominated by the market.
In my day job I’m an academic. My research shows how market capitalism generates inequalities between haves and have-nots and promotes a corrosive individualism that stunts our capacity for empathy, charity and love.
I enjoy hill-walking, riding my bike, holidays and looking after my grand-daughter (not in that order). I became interested in social policy issues after working on adventure playgrounds, teaching, claiming benefits and working in a social security office in Newcastle. I’ve worked in the UK, most European countries, Canada, the US, China, Korea and Japan, Australia and South Africa.

Goodreads | AmazonUK | AmazonUS | Twitter

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT TROUBLE IN NUALA by @HarrietSteel1 #Historical #Crime #SriLanka

Today’s team review is from Liz she blogs here https://lizannelloyd.wordpress.com/

Liz has been reading Trouble In Nuala by Harriet Steel

Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel

Trouble in Nuala is the first in a series of investigations by Inspector Shanti de Silva in colonial Ceylon. Although a Sri Lankan himself, Shanti is married to Jane, an Englishwoman whom he had met after she came to the island as a governess. They mix in the “best” social circles of Nuala, up in the hills far from the busy city of Colombo. An experienced policeman, he may feel frustrated by his junior police officers and by the patronising attitude of Clutterbuck, the assistant government agent, but he is determined to investigate all cases without preference.

Although mainly concerned with minor offences such as neglected horses running wild, the sudden death of a bombastic, unpopular tea planter strikes de Silva as being suspicious, so he quietly makes inquiries into all the circumstances. The lonely widow and the planter’s stepson were not happy, the plantation was making a loss and a young lawyer had recently accused the planter of mistreating his workers.

Interspersed with the gradual investigation is a delightful description of the beauty of Sri Lanka and of the pretentious social life of the British community living there in the 1930s. Shanti and Jane have a respectful relationship based on love and consideration, so he willingly eats cucumber sandwiches when he would much prefer a spicier snack.

This gentle, intelligent policemen could well become renowned for his careful and thoughtful approach to crime in an enthralling environment. A very enjoyable and relaxing book to read. I look forward to his next investigation.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com available free from Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT THE DCI JONES CASEBOOK: ELLIS FLYNN by @KerryJDonovan #Thriller

Today’s Team review is from Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading The DCI Jones Casebook: Ellis Flynn by Kerry J Donovan

THE DCI JONES CASEBOOK: Ellis Flynn by Kerry J Donovan

3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber’s Review Team

I’ve read a couple of this author’s other books, and still like On Lucky Shores best, which I recommend highly. This one is a standard sort of British detective crime thriller, generally well planned out. I liked the plot itself, and thought the baddies were suitably horrible, very convincing. From what I can see, Mr Donovan certainly knows his stuff about police procedures, no problems there. Some reviews say the plot is a bit far-fetched, but this is fiction, isn’t it? It wasn’t a problem for me.

I thought where this book fell down was the characterisation/dialogue, which was, at times, almost like a something out of a comic book, or a spoof; Captain Jean-Luc, the French detective (‘Jean-Luc, the same as your Captain Picard in Star Trek’), came across like something out of 1980s comedy series ‘Allo ‘Allo; he and Jones’s sidekick Alex, a Swedish Brigitte Nelson type, preface their English phrases with ‘how do you say‘ every five minutes, not forgetting Alex’s ‘ja‘ at the end of too many sentences, and their misunderstandings of English phrases ‘is this what is called in England being a butter-fingers?’ and something about uncovering ‘the Ring of the Vice‘. We know they’re French and Scandinavian; it’s not necessary to remind the reader every time they open their mouths. I couldn’t decide if it was meant to be spoof-like or not; I just found it irritating.

The book begins with the wonderfully depraved Ellis Flynn’s grooming of young teenager Hollie Jardine; this made for an excellent opening to pull the reader straight in, but was, alas, was let down by poor proofreading, and by the fact that part of the initial detective work hinged on the discovery of some photo booth pictures of Hollie and Ellis. Hollie was so excited about these, persuading Ellis to have them taken. This leapt out at me: do teenagers do the photo booth thing any more? I thought that was more something of 15 or 20 years ago; these days, teenagers take photos and videos on their phones, constantly. I know this is set in 2011, but virtually all teenagers had camera phones/smartphones by then.

I’m sorry not to give a better review, because Mr Donovan is a jolly good writer in so many ways, and I can see by others that this book has been received very well, so perhaps it’s just me! As far as the plot and suspense go it’s fine; it’s just the dialogue and proofreading that let it down—and I’d still read another book by him, especially if he wants to revisit Chet Walker from On Lucky Shores!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com available free from Kindle Unlimited

 

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT FACE VALUE by @IanAndrewAuthor #crime #fridayreads

Today’s Team Review is from Georgia, she blogs at http://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Georgia has been reading Face Value by Ian Andrew

The Wright of the subtitle of this book is Kara Wright and the Tran is Tien Tran. They are now private investigators having been combat veterans for an elite intelligence unit and I found that this is an action, rather than character, led tale. The story opens with a killing and a brutally efficient one at that and it is this part of the story, and the ongoing police investigation into the death, that takes place in Huntingdon.

Wright and Tran are hired by siblings Michael and Zoe to look into the disappearance of their parents and as a consequence they get to use their former training and while there is much to like about this book I think it was this that interested me most.

Wright and Tran have an extensive network of skilled help they can call on and I really enjoyed the detailed description of how they went about their investigation. There is extreme military precision at play here, a solid knowledge of correct procedure for covert surveillance, following suspects and obtaining the information needed to lay a trap to expose a network of crime and corruption. Clearly Andrew is an author who knows what he is talking about.

Alongside all of this the reader is kept abreast of the ongoing police investigation back in Huntingdon as the net tightens on the killer and I kept wondering all the way through how the first death was going to tie into the rest of the story as it seemed a little abstract but it did all eventually fit together and I thought the ending worked well. Although this is the first in the series be assured that there is a satisfying dénouement here along with a perfect set up for the following book(s).

This story would be enjoyed by all those who like plenty of realistic action along with well-written military style investigation that exposes a seedy world of crime and this author has done a great job.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com also available free from Kindle Unlimited

Rosie’s Team #RBRT THE DCI JONES CASEBOOK: ELLIS FLYNN by @KerryJDonovan #Crime #TuesdayBookBlog

Today’s second team review is from Cathy, she blogs here http://betweenthelinesbookblog.com

Cathy has been reading The DCI Jones Casebook: Ellis Flynn by Kerry Donovan

Another excellent instalment in the DCI Jones Casebook series. When young Hollie Jardine goes missing DCI David Jones, head of the Midlands Police Serious Crime Unit, is on the case along with his partner DC Alexandra Olganski. Jones is near to retirement, but his determination to find Hollie is absolute, although he finds missing child cases very difficult. His friend and colleague, Phil Cryer, has a daughter who could look just like Hollie when she reached her teens and that makes the case hit home even more so.

Luckily CCTV caught some footage and he and Alex risk more than their jobs when they follow Hollie’s trail over the channel. What they discover there defies description. Both their lives will be affected.

Hollie has been groomed and persuaded to go away for a holiday by the loathsome Ellis Flynn. When Hollie arrives to meet Flynn and sees another man with him she becomes suspicious, having second thoughts, and is taken by force. From the start the indication is there’s a paedophile ring at work. These characters are portrayed brilliantly, even though they’re hateful, and the beginning of the story, coming from Flynn’s point of view is chilling. More so because it’s a scenario that could be all too real.

The procedural was fascinating to follow and David Jones is a compassionate and very likeable protagonist, regardless of his almost OCD tendencies. He hates mess anywhere but most especially in his own space. A sad past is hinted at and with his time as a father cut cruelly short, he has a solitary air, although certain of his colleagues are good friends. Kerry Donovan has given a good balance between the logistics of working the case and the individuals’ thoughts and feelings. It’s a multilayered story with a great cast of characters. I really enjoyed the interaction and working relationship between Jones and his French counterpart, Colonel Jean-Luc Coué, a great character. Both of them are firmly on the same page regarding the abduction, and worse, of young girls and the way the offenders should be dealt with.

This is a compelling and tension filled read, the timelines at the beginning of each chapter adding to the ‘race against time’ feel of the storyline. Just when it looks like the case is almost wrapped up, the plot escalates again with a completely unexpected twist. Then again, when it seems like everything has been in vain, another surprise. There’s one question left unanswered for which I have my own, hopefully right, guess. I’ll have to wait and see!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT TRUST ME I LIE by @LouiseMarley #Crime #Mystery #wwwblogs

Today’s second team review is from Suraya, find her at http://www.thestorymint.com

Suraya has been reading Trust Me I Lie by Louise Marley

Trust Me I lie

Louise Marley

Five Stars

This review is written as part of Rosie’s review team and I received the book for free.

This novel starts predictably when the hero, policeman Ben, and heroine, heiress Milla stumble across each other on a stormy night. She is on the road, wet and bedraggled.

‘He hit the brakes and then he hit her.’ (11)

This is policeman Ben’s first encounter with Milla.

He was fuming over his tense meeting with his ex-wife and distracted. It all sounds familiar right down to his seeing through Milla’s lies and not trusting her. And as always the case in these scenarios the feeling is mutual.

She steals from him and disappears. Meantime, he is called to investigate the murder of Camilla Graham who is laid out in a four poster bed dressed in a gown by Dior. When he is told the victim is Camilla Graham, he knows this is not true, or is it? If this is Camilla Graham who was the woman he met on the road and took in for the night? The story twists and turns as Ben tries to unravel the true identities of Camilla, Kiran and Milla. They are related but how?

The plot twists and turns, drawing on events eighteen years before and weaving them into the present raising questions about Camilla Graham’s family as it does. It has pace and the characters are well drawn.

And of course the right two people get together at the end although at times it seems this could never happen, giving the reader a reason to keep turning the page.

I recommend it as a read to escape life’s mundane realities. After all who can resist a troubled but fully independent heiress who does not do a thing she is told and in doing so takes big risks all in the name of finding out who killed her mother and family.

She is sharp witted, intelligent and a match for senior police officer Ben Taylor.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com available free from Kindle Unlimited

 

LOST IN STATIC by Christina Philippou @CPhilippou123 #TuesdayBookBlog Gritty student drama

Lost in Static by Christina Philippou
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lost In Static is a gritty contemporary drama set in an English university. The main characters are four first year students and we follow their lives from beginning to end of that first year.

Ruby is a tom boy, and a huge football fan, she plays in the uni football team, she’s quiet and insecure at times, but popular.

Juliette is running away from home-life and its restrictions. A chain smoker from a strong religious upbringing, uni gives her an opportunity to push new boundaries.

Callum is the good looking one, but has his own secrets.

Yasmine; cold and callous, ready to use anyone for her greater good and will stop at nothing to get her own way.

As the students meet each other in their shared halls of residence, opinions are formed, friendships made, enemies engaged all with a heavy dose of drinking. Callum likes Ruby, Ruby is friends with Juliette, Yasmine hates Juliette, wants Callum and is jeolous of Ruby.

The book opens with one of these students being taken away in an ambulance after a serious accident. Divisions within the group have been split wide, but why? The story then turns back to the first day of term so that we, the reader, can learn of events which lead to the accident. It is built up in delicious layers where we are drip fed snippets and clues, so we too can build our own opinions.

Each student’s side of the story is cleverly told; Ruby’s narrative includes lots of internal dialogue, emphasising her lack of confidence. Callum tells us his version via e-mails to a secret contact. Juliette uses the fourth wall method of speaking to the reader, while Yasemine’s side is told through well known narrative.

The different POV’s are refreshing and move the story at just the right pace, I enjoyed seeing the slight differences in how events happened with each telling, just like any real-life perception of an event.

An excellent debut novel, showing a great strength of writing and could easily be enjoyed by a wide range of readers, although I wouldn’t recommend reading this just before letting go of your precious offspring for their first year at uni, leave it a couple of weeks at least!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com due for release Thursday September 15th.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT WINGS OF MAYHEM by @SueColetta1 #Thriller #SundayBlogShare

Today’s team review is from Shelley, she blogs at http://shelleywilsonauthor.com/

Shelley has been reading Wings of Mayhem by Sue Coletta.

Author: Sue Coletta

Category: Crime/Thriller

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Review:

Shawnee Daniels is a computer forensics specialist by day and a cat burglar by night. I loved how the author managed to blend the two ‘roles’ so well. You get an insight into the talented specialist (or hacker!) as she uses her computer skills to aid the detectives, and then the flip side of her secret life of breaking and entering.

Unlike some psychological thrillers where you don’t find out who the bad guy is until the end, we are introduced to the serial killer from the start, observing events from his point of view in certain chapters and getting a ‘feel’ for the man behind the murders. Even though we know who the big bad is, we are left in the dark as to his motives until the end.

The pace waxes and wanes throughout the book. Just when you think you’ve caught your breath, there is another twist and the pace increases. The author has a beautifully imaginative and descriptive way with murder scenes! I cringed at certain points – just like I do when watching CSI – and then shouted and bawled at Shawnee when she did something stupid or life-threatening.

Sue Coletta creates characters with heart and soul, and Shawnee Daniels has this in abundance. I loved her fire, passion, and loyalty. She doesn’t take any crap from anyone, and I loved this about her. Detective Levaughn is a perfect character to compliment Shawnee’s fiery temperament, and they make a good team.

I loved Nadine – as BFFs go, she is great. The scenes between the two women were humorous and heart-warming – I especially loved their crawl through the heating ducts!

There are twists that I didn’t see coming and a nicely wrapped up ending. If you are a fan of riveting thrillers, then Wings of Mayhem is for you.

I purchased the eBook via Amazon and reviewed it as part of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT SILENCED JUSTICE by @JBroadmeadow #Thriller #SundayBlogShare

Today’s Team Review is from Cathy, she blogs at http://betweenthelinesbookblog.com

Cathy has been reading Silenced Justice by Joe Broadmeadow

I haven’t read the first in the series and there were one or two moments when I was left wondering about certain aspects of the back story. It didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of this book although it took a little while to get my head round all the characters. Once I was into the story, though, it held my attention completely as the pace accelerated and the drama and suspense built.

Josh Williams is a Lieutenant in the Special Investigations Unit of the Providence Police.The story, set in East Providence, Rhode Island, begins with an attempt on the life of Keira, Josh’s wife, while she’s driving his truck to work. As Josh begins an investigation into the two men responsible, his former boss, Chris Hamlin who now runs a private investigations company, asks him to look into an old case. The niece of one of the other two women who work with Chris, wants some information on her biological father. Darnell Grey was arrested in 1972 for rape and murder and was subsequently beaten to death in prison before he could stand trial. It’s a chilling scenario of racism at its worst, combined with a tense and explosive prison system.

The investigations intensify and the more Josh uncovers, the murkier and more dangerous it all gets. The Justice System failed, manipulating evidence and witnesses, and corruption is widespread. An unscrupulous and disturbing conspiracy is uncovered layer by layer, involving government, the police and organised crime lords. It’s a horrifying but convincing sequence of events.

I love the skilfully created, complex plot, with lots of strands all coming together in a great ending, leaving the way open for more. The characters are all well defined and likeable, or not as the case may be. The narrative and dialogue are believable (unfortunately so in the case of the 70s police and government officials) and realistic. I like Joe Broadmeadow’s writing style, how he shows the evident camaraderie between Josh and his colleagues with sarcastic and humorous interaction. It’s obvious the author knows his subject and setting which adds to the authenticity.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

#BookReview Team THE DISOBEDIENT WIFE by Annika Milisic-Stanley #TuesdayBookBlog @MilisicStanley

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading The Disobedient Wife by Annika Milisic-Stanley

The Disobedient Wife by Annika Milisic Stanley

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber’s Review Team

I enjoyed this book very much indeed, it’s excellent and so unusual. It’s set in 2007/8, in Tajikistan, one of those countries that used to be part of the USSR; I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know where it is, but looked it up (it borders China and Afghanistan).

The Disobedient Wife of the title could refer to Harriet Simenon, ex-pat wife of a Belgian diplomat who is unhappy in her current surroundings, or her home help/nanny Nargis, a young mother who has suffered much over the years; her first husband, who she loved dearly, died from cancer caused by toxic waste, and her second husband was violent. Under Tajikistan tradition, Nargis is seen as a fallen woman because she left him; he kept their son with him. I like book titles that could refer to more than one aspect of a book; it might also apply to a friend of Nargis who rebels against her controlling husband by taking a lover, a decision that has terrible consequences.

Nargis’s life is one of harsh drudgery, but she’s a fighter and I loved her character. Aside from the fact that the story is so well planned out and beautifully written, I was fascinated by the insight into the lives of the people of this country, and the effects of the release from Russia’s control.

At the beginning of the novel, English Harriet comes across as shallow, selfish and self-obsessed, but as her own marriage runs into difficulty and her friendships with her ex-pat friends are shown to be superficial, her relationship with Nargis deepens, and she begins to understand her strength, and examine her own way of life.

The story is written most from alternating points of view of Nargis and Harriet (some of Harriet’s is written in the form of her journal, which gives yet another insight), with occasional chapters looking at Harriet’s revolting ex-husband, who becomes involved with some dangerous people in an effort to better himself.

I was completely engrossed all the way through this book. There’s plenty going on, it’s quite a page-turner, and it’s as well written as any best seller by an established writer (and probably better than many). Highly recommended, I think it would be enjoyed by readers who love gritty crime/real life drama and more emotional women’s fiction alike, as it’s a mix of these two genres. Big thanks to the author for educating me about this country, too.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com