#Tuesdaybookblog Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott #Thriller #audio #bookreview

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott

Narrated by Lisa Coleman

When your life is a lie, who can you trust?

When Maggie Taylor accepts a new job in Manchester, she is sure it is the right move for her family. The children have settled well although her husband, Duncan, doesn’t appear to be so convinced.

But nothing prepares her for the shock of coming home from work one night to find that Duncan has disappeared, leaving their young children alone. His phone is dead, and she has no idea where he has gone, or why. And then she discovers she’s not the only one looking for him.

When a woman who looks just like Maggie is brutally murdered and DCI Tom Douglas is brought in to investigate, Maggie realises how little she knows about Duncan’s past. Is he the man she loves? Who is he running from?

She doesn’t have long to decide whether to trust him or betray him. Because one thing has been made clear to Maggie – another woman will die soon, and it might be her.

My Review

Well first off I didn’t even realise this was book 5 in the DCI Tom Douglas series until I went to review it on Goodreads. There is no hint of this fact on Amazon UK, but it really didn’t matter to the reading experience, which was excellent. It shows great skill on the writers part that you can pick up her books and read them as standalones, although I do prefer to read books in order.

The premise of Kill Me Again had me intrigued, the story was engaging, the twists were unexpected and I really couldn’t stop listening to it.

There were one or two moments when I found it hard to agree with Maggie’s actions and I would’ve gone to the police sooner rather than risk my children, but overall the story worked.

The ending took me by surprise and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. I’m looking forward to reading the previous books in the series, starting in order this time.

My rating 5 stars.

My favourite reads of 2016 #amreading #greatreads

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

I’ve read more in 2016 than I have in years thanks to taking up the Goodreads reading challenge and joining Rosie’s Book Review Team.

Here are some of the books that have stayed with me long after I finished reading them.

Favourite Children’s book – Fire Bed and Bone by Henrietta Bradford

My review & My Family Review

I loved this book and shared it with my family. It was an interesting experiment to get the different opinions from a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old and my husband (whose age I’m sure he wouldn’t want me to mention!).

Favourite YA book – The Sapphire Legend by E.L. Tenenbaum

My Review

This fantasy book took me by surprise and I have been longing to read the sequel. I definitely will in 2017.

Favourite Indie and fantasy – The Crown of Stones by C.L. Schneider

My Review

I was drawn to the cover of this book from the start and the book didn’t disappoint. A great fantasy, and another trilogy I hope to finish in 2017.

Favourite Thriller – Distress Signals by Catherin Ryan Howard

My review

This book led to some very late nights! A compelling thriller and I bet you won’t see the twist coming!

Favourite Romance – Late Summer in the Vineyards by Jo Thomas

My Review

I loved this book for the atmosphere and the wonderful feel good factor it had.

Favourite Audio book – Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge

My Review

This was a thriller I just couldn’t stop listening to. It had that all important mystery element, and like the main character I didn’t know who to trust. It reminded me of ‘Before I go to Sleep’. Both truly great reads.

In all I read 33 books during 2016. Now I can’t wait to see what books 2017 has in store.

Have you read any of these books, and if not have I inspired you to add them to your TBR lists?

#Audiobook #bookreview See How They Run by Tom Bale #Tuesdaybookblog #thriller

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

See How They Run (Audio version)

By Tom Bale

Narrated by Kris Dyer

Blurb
In the dead of night, new parents Alice and Harry French are plunged into their worst nightmare when they wake to find masked men in their bedroom. Men ruthless enough to threaten their baby daughter, Evie.

This is no burglary gone wrong.
The intruders know who they’re looking for – a man called Edward Renshaw.
And they are prepared to kill to get to him.

When the men leave empty handed, little do Alice and Harry realise that their nightmare is just beginning. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Who is Renshaw? And what is he hiding?

One thing is clear – they already know too much.

As Alice and Harry are separated in the run for their lives, there is no time to breathe in their fight to be reunited. And with their attackers closing in, there is only one choice:

STAY ALIVE. OR DON’T.

Terrifying, unputdownable and full of twists and turns, this stunning thriller will have you on the edge of your seat right to the very last page.

My Review

I bought this book on a whim having seen the audio book on sale with audible. The premise sounded engaging and I was certainly gripped by the beginning sample. The book starts with a bang, putting you straight into the action as a couple are threatened in their own home along with their 2-month-old baby.

There were quite a few viewpoint characters in the book, which is necessary to drive the story along. It was well narrated with all the different voices depicted with skill.

It was an absorbing listen. I enjoyed the mounting tension as the story rattled along at a pace, dragging the main characters, Alice and Harry, into ever increasing danger.

I loved that some of the action happened in Glocestershire, Ross-on-Wye and Symmons Yat, favourite holiday spots for our family.

In all this was a gripping thriller, however after the main action had taken place the end did drag on a bit.

A recommended read or listen for thriller and mystery fans.

My rating 4 stars

#Audio #bookreview The Teacher by Katerina Diamond #thriller #tuedaybookblog

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

The Teacher

Katerina Diamond

Narrator Stevie Lacey

Blurb

You think you know who to trust? You think you know the difference between good and evil? You’re wrong…

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

WARNING: Most definitely not for the faint-hearted!

My review

I found this book slow to start. There were quite a few characters introduced in the first few chapters and I was a little underwhelmed and lost.

But several chapters in, I really started to get taken in by the unfolding story. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the slow revealing of each characters’ story. It’s unusual for a detective story to have so many other characters VP’s rather than just the detective and the murderer. I found this refreshing and it helped keep my interest through the book.

The horrific murders really made me cringe, but I wouldn’t say it wasn’t for the faint-hearted as the blurb suggests.

In all, it was a good listen and an enjoyable story. I recommend to those who enjoy thrillers and detective stories.

Rating – 3.5 stars

#Audiobook #bookreview – Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge #thriller

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Look Behind You – Sibel Hodge

Narrated by – Susan Duerden

Blurb

Chloe Benson wakes up kidnapped and bound in an underground tomb with no memory of how she got there.

She manages to escape but no one believes her story—not the police, not the doctors, and especially not her husband, Liam.

When she suspects Liam is lying to her, Chloe is forced to retrace her past, following in her own footsteps to find the truth and stay alive. But who is following Chloe?

Look behind you. You never know who’s out there.

***

My Audio Review

I really loved this book. It reminded me of Before I go to sleep by S J Watson, which I also loved. Chloe is in a similar situation, she can’t remember the last 7 weeks of her life and doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.

The story gripped me and I couldn’t stop listening. I loved the mystery surrounding the memory loss and how Chloe had to retrace her steps leading up to what happened.

The only problem I found was the narrator. In the beginning I found her style too much. It was all very desperate sounding, but it did fit the situation perfectly. I would be desperate if I woke, tied up in a pitch black room with no memory! Her male voices all sounded samey, but I got used to that and it didn’t detract from the story.

There was one issue that bugged me from the start. Chloe was tied up and broke free, there would surely have been rope marks around her wrists and ankles to prove her story, but everyone insisted on thinking she made it up.

Overall, I loved it and give it 5 stars.

#Audiobook #bookreview – No Longer Safe by A. J. Haines #thriller

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

No Longer Safe by A.J.Haines

Narrated by Emma Powell

Blurb

She was your best friend. Now she’s your deadliest enemy – and there’s nowhere to run…

When Alice receives an invitation from Karen, her charismatic University friend, to stay in a remote cottage in Scotland, she can’t wait to rekindle their lost friendship. But two more former students arrive – never friends of Alice’s – and as the atmosphere chills, Karen isn’t the warm-hearted soulmate Alice remembers. Barely is the reunion underway before someone is dead and the fragile gathering is pushed to breaking point.

As the snow cuts them off from civilisation and accusations fly, Alice finds herself a pawn, sinking deeper into a deadly game she can’t escape.

NO LONGER SAFE is a chilling Psychological Thriller that delivers a delicious sting in the

My review

The book moves along at a slow pace, but I wasn’t bored at any point. The backstory is slowly revealed and as you get to know the four reunited friends, you start to understand that no one is quite as they seem. The story becomes more dramatic and events drag Alice along a path that she will have trouble coming back from.

Your suspicions are raised more during the short chapters from Karen’s perspective. You’re left in no doubt that Alice is being deceived. But it takes a good part of the book to understand just what Karen has planned.

Did I guess the ending? Definitely not. What a shocker!

I’ve already pre-ordered the authors next book which is due out in October.

A recommended read for those who enjoy thrillers at a slightly slower pace, but it still has a dramatic end.

4 star read / listen!

#Audiobook #bookreview – Try not to breathe by Holly Seddon #thriller #suspense

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon

Audio book

Blurb

Alex is sinking. Slowly but surely, she’s cut herself off from everything but her one true love – drink. Until she’s forced to write a piece about a coma ward, where she meets Amy.

Amy is lost. When she was fifteen, she was attacked and left for dead in a park. Her attacker was never found. Since then, she has drifted in a lonely, timeless place. She’s as good as dead, but not even her doctors are sure how much she understands.

Alex and Amy grew up in the same suburbs, played the same music, flirted with the same boys. And as Alex begins to investigate the attack, she opens the door to the same danger that has left Amy in a coma…

My review

I really enjoyed this thriller of a book. The format reminded me very much of Girl on a Train, which I have also recently listened to. Each chapter switches between Alex, Jacob/Jake and Amy’s view-point. There are occasional chapters from other VP’s (Jacob’s mum) but it’s these three that are the main focus.

I quickly became sucked in by the story and found myself snatching every moment I could to listen to another chapter. I found the characters believable and really wanted Alex to get justice for Amy.

The narration was great.

This book lives up to the hype around it and left me guessing (wrongly) at Amy’s attacker most of the way through. I certainly wasn’t expecting the big reveal at the end, and I’m usually good at working out the clues before that point.

I recommend Try not to Breathe to those who enjoy a great thriller / suspense novel. I can’t wait to read more of Holly Seddon’s work.

My rating 4 stars.

#Tuesdaybookblog #Audio #Bookreview The House on Cold Hill – Peter James #Suspense

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

The House on Cold Hill by Peter James

Audiobook Length 9 hours

Genre Suspense

Narrated by Nicholas Boulton

Blurb

Moving from the heart of Brighton and Hove to the Sussex countryside is a big undertaking for Ollie and Caro Harcourt and their twelve-year-old daughter Jade. But when they view Cold Hill House – a huge, dilapidated Georgian mansion – Ollie is filled with excitement. Despite the financial strain of the move, he has dreamed of living in the country since he was a child, and he sees Cold Hill House as a paradise for his animal-loving daughter, the perfect base for his web-design business and a terrific long-term investment. Caro is less certain, and Jade is grumpy about being separated from her friends.

Within days of moving in, it becomes apparent that the Harcourt family aren’t the only residents of the house. A friend of Jade’s is the first to see the spectral woman, standing behind her as the girls talk on FaceTime. Then there are more sightings, as well as increasingly disturbing occurrences in the house. As the haunting becomes more malevolent and the house itself begins to turn on the Harcourts, the terrified family discover Cold Hill House’s dark history, and the horrible truth of what it could mean for them . . .

My review

I loved Peter James’ suspense thrillers as a teenager and was delighted to see this book featured on a recent blog post by Shani Struthers along with an interview with the great man himself, Peter James. I’d been looking for a book to listen to on audio and thought, why not. My only concern was that I might be more of a wimp now than my teenage self was.

Apart from the rather gruesome start, the book wasn’t too terrifying. It had the right amount of tension and confusion to keep me hooked.

I listened to this book over the course of 2 days. I couldn’t stop myself, and I think I would have been the same if I had been reading the book. The short chapters make for a suspenseful read/listen.

My only faults with the book were that I didn’t feel particularly close to any of the characters and I guessed the end too soon. But that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the book.

I recommend The House on Cold Hill to any ghost / horror / suspense readers out there, even if you are a bit of a coward like me!

I rate it 4 stars.

#Audio #Bookreview The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins #thriller

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

This is my second attempt at audio books and I’m happy to say that I did enjoy this experience a lot more. Now the book is finished I find myself missing the times I would put it on whilst cooking the dinner, loading the dishwasher etc.

Title – The Girl on the Train

Author – Paula Hawkins

Book Type – Audio

Genre – Psychological thriller

Length – 11 hours

Narrated by Clare Corbett, India Fisher, Louise Brealey.

Blurb

Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.
Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.
Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

First Thoughts

At first it felt to me as if the story was told in diary form and I wasn’t sure I would get into it. However, I soon found the first person narrative compelled me to keep listening.

Characters

The three narrators voices were well suited to the characters and brought them to life. I soon began to understand that each of the characters were unreliable. They’ve all done things that make they hard to like, yet I still found myself enjoying the story and wanting to unravel the mess these women had gotten into.

Style

It is told in first person from the three different characters points of view. It also switches back in time to a year before this book starts – but the timeline and character VP are always explained at the start of each new section so you don’t feel lost at any point. Switching VP’s made for a compelling read / listen.

Final Thoughts

I had not listened to the hype around this book, nor did I know what it was about when I started listening to it. I did guess the outcome quite early on, but there were plenty of red herrings to keep me wondering if I had made the right guess. I was glad to be proved right and I didn’t feel cheated by the conclusion.

I really miss listening to the story – I think I have the audio book bug!

Recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

My rating – 4 stars

***

What do you think of the book and all the hype?

Are you looking forward to the film coming out later this year? I am. I think Emily Blunt will make the perfect Rachel Watson. I don’t know why it had to be relocated to America though.

#Audiobook #bookreview The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss #tuesdaybookblog

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Suzanne Rogerson Author

Note – This is my first audio book review.

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Title: Name of the Wind – Book 1 Kingkiller Chronicles

Genre: Fantasy

Type: Audio

Length: TOO LONG! 28 hours

Narrator: Rupert Degas

Blurb:

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

First Impressions:

I chose The Name of the Wind as my first audio book as I really wanted to read it, but couldn’t face a book of that magnitude for the few hours I have set aside for reading.

My husband dubbed the book ‘Long of the Wind’ this should have been an indication of what was to come.

Narration style:

For me it was hard listening to a man doing a woman’s voice, though so far there has only been one woman in the book – Kvothe’s mother. Rupert Degas softens his voice for this role, and also to make his voice sound younger for Kvothe as a child. It sort of worked, but as the story dragged on, I became annoyed listening to it.

Summary:

It is a very long book… but nothing happens. It is brilliantly written with lots of details, but I want a book to go somewhere and this did not. I guess Patrick Rothfuss’s slow writing style is not for me.

Final Thoughts:

I did not listen to the whole book, though I really tried. I stopped at chapter 19. It was so boring I kept leaving the room forgetting I was listening to it. I have no inclination to pick up the book to find out what happened. I’m sorry to say that I just didn’t care for the main character or what happened in his past.

Recommend to: Insomniacs and readers who enjoy slow building epics.

Rating: 2 stars.

***

I really wanted to give audio books a try, maybe starting with this one was a mistake. Or maybe audio books are just not for me and I am being unfair to the author. I shall be listening to ‘Girl on a Train’ next and will post a review on that soon.

Has anyone got any suggestions for a good audio book?