Sheila Rawlings's Blog, page 3

Book review: A dangerous liaison

Plagued with memories of two previous hostage situations, police negotiator Superintendent Alex Lewis is sent to Westminster Bridge, where Becca Palmer is threatening to jump into the Thames. Successfully managing to talk the young woman down, Alex is then alarmed to discover two weeks later that the same woman is back on Westminster Bridge, once again threatening to jump.

During their conversations, Becca claims she had been having an affair with Simon Jones MP, the charismatic Policing Minister, but that he had just ended it. She also tells Alex she suspects Simon is involved with something criminal. However, when told of her claims and suicide attempts, the Minister denies all knowledge of her ‘obvious fantasy’. Instead, concerned for her welfare, he advocates the belief she needs help.

Convinced Becca could be telling the truth, and worried about her state of mind, Alex visits the Home Office to interview the Minister but is unable to speak to him. He is then warned by his superior to drop the matter and concentrate on his other duties, but when he learns that a freelance reporter, Rowan Blake, is carrying out her own investigation into Simon Jones’s possible illicit dealings, he decides to join forces with her to find out exactly what the Minister is up to – a decision that not only puts Becca’s life in danger but also his own.

Having liked John’s debut novel ‘The Siege’, I was keen to read ‘The Fallen’, his second novel following the traumatic life of police negotiator Alex Lewis. I was not disappointed. In fact, I found it even more engrossing.

The plot is well constructed, and the tension expertly maintained. Not only does the author manage to convey the enormous stress and sense of responsibility felt by a police negotiator, but he also provides an intriguing, multi-layered storyline – one which gradually reveals the dangerous consequences of trusting the wrong person.

Right from the start it is difficult to decide who is telling the truth. Becca has a history of instability and an over-active imagination, while Simon is a perfect family man with a spotless track record. Even Rowan’s motives are potentially suspect. After all, she is an ambitious journalist who is hoping to write a story that will make her name. Add to that a backdrop of political corruption and ruthless ambition and the stage is set for a thrilling read.

Trust no one

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was accused of attempting to have her husband, Dominic, murdered. Framed by her husband and his lover Danielle Anderson, a serving detective in the Metropolitan Police, Olivia was then convicted and imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. Having served her time, she is now determined to clear her name.

While in prison, Olivia and her cellmate, Kelly (Smithy) Smith – a seasoned offender for theft – formed a close friendship. Now they have both been released, Smithy is keen to help Olivia prove her innocence, reclaim custody of her daughter, and get revenge on Dom and Dani for ruining her life.

Unfortunately, Dominic is not the man Olivia thinks he is, and having kept his real identity a secret for so long, he is not about to let her – or anyone else – expose his past misdemeanours. The closer Olivia gets to obtaining the evidence she needs to prove her innocence, the closer she gets to uncovering Dominic’s web of deception. Therefore, with too much to lose, Dominic is forced to consider desperate measures, putting Olivia’s own life in jeopardy.

‘The Guilty Couple’ is an engrossing and cleverly written thriller with surprising twists and turns throughout, all culminating in a satisfying ending. Told from the viewpoint of each of the main characters, the reader is gradually drip-fed the backstory until every piece of the unfolding situation finally fits together. With all the characters possessing strong personalities, there is a depth to the story that is not only engaging, but also evokes doubts about each person’s motive. Several times I thought I knew who was betraying who, only to be proved wrong.

I always judge how much I enjoy a book by the speed with which I read it, and as I read ‘The Guilty Couple’ in two days rather than weeks, I can thoroughly recommend it.

The job from hell

Still reeling from the loss of her father, when Una sees an advertisement for a teaching job on Iceland’s remote Langanes Peninsula, she decides to swop her city life in Reykjavik for a quiet one in the tiny village of Skálar. Unfortunately, faced with the unforgiving dark and cold winter weather, and a somewhat cool reception from the handful of residents, it is not long before she begins to wonder if she has made a mistake in accepting the job – especially as she only has two pupils to teach. The fact that the house she is lodging in is old and creaky also adds to her feelings of anxiety.

Despite her efforts to make new friends in the village, Una is continually kept at arm’s length. However, when one of her two pupils is found dead, and the villagers begin to close ranks, Una starts to realise there is more to their aloofness than a mere distrust of strangers.

Ragnar Jónasson’s first standalone crime thriller, ‘The Girl Who Died’, is a total departure from the format he usually employs in his successful detective led crime series – Dark Iceland and Hidden Iceland. Not only does it lack any police involvement – apart from a brief appearance of a police officer following up a missing person’s inquiry – but the story also possesses a slight supernatural element, something which I must admit surprised me at first, yet nevertheless did not spoil my enjoyment of the book.

The one thing this novel does have in common with his other novels, is Jónasson’s ability to recreate the cold, dark bleakness of an Icelandic winter within his descriptive prose. This, together with the palpable feeling of isolation of life in a remote village, gives a realistic depth to the story. As with many close-knit communities, it is common for the villagers to view outsiders with suspicion. However, in this case they have good reason to keep them away. With so many dark secrets to unravel, ‘The Girl Who Died’ is definitely worth the read.

Against all odds

Grace is the American-born wife of Dr Ho Fengshan, the Consul General of China, currently based at the Chinese consulate in Vienna. As a diplomat’s wife, Grace is expected to accompany her husband to social gatherings and official functions. However, although being half Chinese herself, she can speak neither Chinese nor German. Coupled with the fact she is also shy, she therefore finds the fulfilment of these societal obligations both difficult and challenging.

Fluent himself in German, Fengshan is keen for his wife to learn the language too. However, despite his attempts to introduce Grace to several tutors, she successfully manages to avoid them all until, running out of excuses, she eventually agrees to meet Lola Schnitzler, a young Viennese Jewish woman with whom she strikes up a close friendship.

Unfortunately, with Austria now in the grip of the Third Reich, their friendship is a problem for Fengshan. Even though the Führer’s policies had strained relations between China and Germany, Fengshan’s superior had ordered him to maintain a functional diplomatic tie to the new regime – which meant avoiding contact with all Jews. With no other friends in Vienna, Grace refuses to abandon Lola, causing Fengshan to re-evaluate his loyalty. Torn between his duty to China, his love for his wife, and the growing injustice towards the Jews, Fengshan finally makes a decision that could put all their lives in danger.

Having read the blurb, I was not sure at first whether I was going to enjoy this novel. However, I was glad I decided to depart from my usual preference for crime thrillers and take a chance, as ‘Night Angels’ proved to be not only enjoyable but totally engrossing.

Set against a backdrop of Hitler’s growing hostility towards the Jewish population, the author has combined the heroic actions of the real Dr Ho Fengshan with the fictional story of two women, from very different backgrounds, whose forbidden friendship eventually destroys both their lives. This combination of both fact and fiction makes for both an exciting and moving read.

Wrong place, wrong time

My latest book recommendation is ‘Running in the Dark’ by Sam Reaves. It is a tense and chilling thriller highlighting the consequences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Traumatised by the suicide of her boyfriend Evan, Abigail Markstein leaves New York to take up the post of mathematics teacher at Tippecanoe College in Lewisburg, Indiana. Like so many small towns, everyone in Lewisburg seems to know each other and news soon spreads of her arrival. Unfortunately, the only place available for her to stay is a seedy motel whose clientele leave a lot to desires.

Yet to make any friends and unhappy with her accommodation, Abby attends a small reception at the college, where she is introduced to Lisa Beth Quinton, a local newspaper journalist and wife of the psychology teacher, Jerry Collins. Horrified to learn where Abby is staying, Lisa Beth immediately tells her about a basement flat available for rent, which Abby eagerly agrees to check out. Fortunately, both the flat and the landlord, Ned McLaren, turn out to be to her liking, so she moves in.

Having been a keen runner back in New York, Abby decides it is time to start working her idle muscles again. So, waking early before dawn, she heads off along the suggested route she had been given by Jerry. Beginning to feel slightly uneasy in the darkness of an unfamiliar road, she is surprised to hear a car approaching from behind her. Letting it pass and continuing to run, her surprise soon turns to horror when she hears an explosion and discovers the same car, consumed by fire in the middle of the road with the driver still inside. Worst still, a man is standing by the roadside, smiling at her before disappearing into the darkness.

‘Running in the Dark’ is a gripping and unsettling thriller that will make you think twice about walking alone at night. Not afraid to portray the darker side of human nature, the author’s graphic descriptions bring a chilling reality to the story, allowing the reader to not only share the anxiety of running alone through a dark and unfamiliar countryside, but also the fear of being alone in a flat with a possible stalker outside.

Together with skilfully drawn characters, each with their own agendas and secrets, the story is both engrossing and disturbing in equal measures. ‘Running in the Dark’ is a novel well worth reading – although it is probably best not to be alone when you do.

A Sea of Lies and Deceit

Having woken up in a trashed and unfamiliar hotel room, Mac is alarmed to discover his pillow is soaked in blood from a nasty head wound. Unable to remember what happened or how he got there, he is further shocked to find splatters of blood everywhere and his lover Elena’s corpse slumped in the bath, having been shot in the head at point blank range.

Hearing police sirens outside, and convinced he is being framed, Mac knows he will be the obvious suspect for Elena’s murder if he hangs around. So, to give himself time to prove his innocence, he escapes over the hotel’s roof. From then on it becomes a race against time to discover who really killed Elena before a very determined Detective Inspector Rio Wray hunts him down.

As he swims through a sea of lies and deceit, it is difficult for Mac to know who is telling the truth. The fact he has been leading a secret double life does little to help the situation. Therefore, as the evidence begins to stack up against him, he cannot help wondering if he was the one responsible for Elena’s death all along.

Having read Dreda Say Mitchell’s ‘Trap Door’, I was keen to read another one of her novels. I was not disappointed as ‘Vendetta’ delivered the same tension and intrigue I had previously enjoyed. It is an exciting ‘whodunnit’ crime story, with twists and turns throughout. Not only is the reader presented with several tangible culprits, but the one trying to prove his innocence is also a possible suspect.

Nothing is as it seems

Rachel Jordan is about to become homeless. Although her rich father, Frank Jordan, had provided her with a house and a year’s mortgage payment, a series of subsequent bad decisions and trust in the wrong people had led to her home being wrecked and her mortgage now in arrears. Therefore, when Michael Barrington – the enigmatic boss of a successful company in the East End of London – offers her a great job as a management consultant, she sees it as the answer to all her prayers.

At first the job seems to be perfect, but it soon turns into a nightmare when Michael suddenly moves Rachel from her comfortable private office on the first floor to a cramped subterranean one downstairs in the basement. Worst still, to reach the room she must descend through a trap door located in the floor above, then follow a narrow, poorly lit underground passageway. Confined in a windowless space with three other people – all of whom are seemingly reluctant to interact with her – it is little wonder that Rachel starts to feel claustrophobic and trapped, allowing her phobias and bad memories to take control.

Forced to work in the evenings alone, Rachel begins to hear noises from the seemingly empty rooms above; a woman crying and a dog barking. As the building has a tragic past, she initially concludes her mind is playing tricks, but then later dismisses that theory when she hears Michael return to the building one evening with another person. An angry altercation then ensues, during which Rachel recognises the stranger’s voice. Shocked by what she hears, and left with more questions than answers, she then decides it’s time to discover the truth about Michael Barrington and his associates … even if it puts her own life in danger.

‘Trap Door’ is an engrossing, creepy psychological thriller, and certainly one of the best I have read in a while. Its dramatic start immediately provides the reader with a mystery. Then, through a series of unexpected circumstances, disturbing incidents, and a gradual introduction of a backstory, it proceeds to solve that mystery.

Told mainly in the first person, but reverting to the third for past events, the storyline is both intriguing and compelling. Nothing is as it seems, and nobody is entirely innocent. Secrets lurk around every corner, but the full picture remains steadfastly hidden. The explosive ending when it comes is a complete shock.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it, so much so that I have just purchased another one by the same author.

The higher they climb, the harder they fall

After thirty-five years in the police force, Phil Cooke is at the top of his game. Rising up the ranks from a humble PC to the lofty heights of Chief Superintendent at Brighton and Hove Division, he has always acted professionally when dealing with the many and varied criminal activities plaguing the area. However, with his wife already dying of cancer, when his youngest son Harry is murdered, Phil suddenly finds himself questioning the effectiveness of his own values.

Devastated by his son’s murder, Phil is certain in his own mind that Harry was murdered by a family of villains out for revenge for a previous conviction. So, when he discovers that the SIO in charge of the case is his former lover, Jo Howe, he attempts to influence her investigation by convincing her they are the only suspects. However, Jo is determined to steer her own course and ignores his suggestions.

Disillusioned by his colleagues’ failure to secure a swift conviction, Phil eventually allows his emotions to overrule his head and turns to a local vigilante group, who have recently gained a reputation for successfully tracking down criminals. However, he soon realises the gang are not what they seem and that his decision carries a heavy price tag, leaving him out of his depth and on the wrong side of the law.

Having attended one of Graham Bartlett’s crime courses for authors and read his book, ‘Death Comes Knocking: Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton’, I was keen to read his debut crime fiction novel ‘Bad for Good’. Like his crime course, I was not disappointed. One of the messages I took away from the course was that, if you wanted a police procedural novel to sound convincing, certain things had to happen to facilitate the storyline. ‘Bad for Good’ is a prime example of this doctrine.

Obviously drawing on his own experiences as a police officer, Graham has created an intriguing and exciting story with several threads running through it, all of which eventually come together to culminate in a thrilling finale. Set in and around the popular seaside town of Brighton, every character is well drawn, each having their own individual problems and demons to contend with. The storyline is also well written, skilfully demonstrating the ease with which even good people can inadvertently become bad.

‘Bad for Good’ is an engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable read and one which I can definitely recommend.

Behind closed doors

When two army rifles – stolen from a Welsh barracks – are recovered during a raid on a drug-dealer’s home, Inspector Robert Finlay is sent to Wales to find out how they had ended up in London. Because of Finlay’s own army background, his boss, Bill Grahamslaw, believes him to be the right man for the job. However, on his arrival at the Prince Albert Barracks, he soon finds that not everyone is of the same mind. Met with suspicion and somewhat reluctant cooperation, the only person apparently willing to help him is Sergeant Floria McLaren, a member of the military police who has been assigned to Finlay for the duration of his investigation.

As Finlay starts to question those in charge of the stolen rifles at the time they went missing, he discovers one of the rifles belonged to a young female recruit, Angela Davenport – whose recent death is currently the subject of an inquest. Keen to interview her parents, when Finlay finally gets to speak to them, Michael Davenport is adamant his daughter would never have killed herself and that the army is covering up the truth of what really happened.

Under pressure from the Ministry of Defence to let sleeping dogs lie, Finlay’s boss orders him not to get involved with the Davenport’s case. His sole job is to question the relevant people about the rifles and then return to London immediately. Unfortunately, Finlay now has the bit between his teeth and decides to ignore his boss’s order. With a conspiracy of silence arousing his suspicions, he is convinced that Angela Davenport’s death is just the tip of the iceberg and therefore elects to remain at the barracks until he finds out what is really going on ‘behind the wire’.

Like his previous novels, Matt Johnson’s ‘Crow 27’ is a gritty, fast-paced, and truly absorbing story that will keep you reading long into the night. Robert Finlay is a character you can totally believe in, and the realistic storyline bears testimony to the obvious amount of detailed research that must have been undertaken. Far from shying away from rocking the military boat, Matt has grabbed the bull by both horns and tackled the sensitive subject of bullying and abuse within the British army … one which could possibly cause some discomfort among the powers that be. The result is a shocking but rewarding story that will stay with you long after the last page. Definitely worth a read.

Questionable guilt

Susan Webster has just been released from the Oakdale Psychiatric Institute, after serving a four-year sentence for killing her baby son, Dylan. However, despite everyone telling her she committed the crime – including her husband Mark – Susan has no recollection of doing so.

Having been warned of possible reprisals and hostile reactions from people, Susan took the precaution of changing her name by deed poll to Emma Cartwright and now lives in a new area where she hopes she will be able to escape her past. Therefore, when a hand-delivered envelope, addressed to her real name, lands on her door mat she is understandably unnerved.

Opening the envelope, Susan’s fear instantly turns to confusion when she discovers a photograph inside of a young boy who, according to the inscription on the back, is supposedly Dylan, now aged four. Although she knows this cannot be true, it does not stop Susan from imagining Dylan might still be alive somewhere.

As the sender has chosen to remain anonymous, Susan’s friend Cassie initially thinks the photo is just a prank and tells her to ignore it, but when a newspaper cutting of her trial is planted in Susan’s bag, Cassie has to admit there is more to it than mere coincidence. Worried someone has discovered her true identity and is stalking her, when a man knocks on Susan’s door and addresses her by her real name, she immediately thinks he is responsible for the photo and angrily dismisses him. However, believing him to be a journalist, she then decides to enlist his help in finding the identity of her tormentor and the truth behind their motives. After all, if Dylan is truly alive, it means someone must have framed her for a murder she did not commit.

‘How I Lost You’ is a fast-paced psychological thriller that grabs your attention from the very beginning and firmly holds onto it until the very end. Alternating between the past and the present, the story gradually pieces together a web of cruelty and deceit, culminating in the shocking revelation that nearly everyone has something to hide. I have to admit, I was initially confused by the sudden introduction of the chapters dealing with past events, as the characters depicted within them seemed at first to be unconnected to those of the present-day, causing me to feel slightly irritated by their intrusion and wonder what the relevance was. However, the unfolding backstory itself was so engrossing, that it was not long before everything began to make sense and the relevance finally became clear.