The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles, #2) by Jeffrey Archer.

Follow Harry Clifton and his friends and family from 1939 to 1945. Although this is the second book in The Clifton Chronicles series, it can be read as a standalone.

I liked how Jeffrey used the same format for this book as he did in the first. Each character had chapters written from their point of view, so you as the reader get the whole story, as opposed to the characters who only get a snip.

I liked how Jeffrey gently gave you the backstory, so that if you had not read the first book, you were not left in the dark. Also if it had been awhile since you had read the first book, then your memory will be refreshed, which gives added value to the story.

I liked The Sins of the Father more than the first book. I thought the plot was far better and I liked that Harry and his contemporaries were now adults rather than teenagers.

I liked how the book progressed and I was unsure how the story would unfold. I found this novel to be a pleasant read. Character development was very good, regardless whether the person was a good or bad guy.

I found The Sins of the Father to be a comfortable read. Although it was set in times well before I was born, it had dilemmas etc that are still relevant today. This book kept me entertained and I am pleased that I purchased a copy. I thought the writing was of good quality and it captured mood, very well indeed. This novel was not outstanding but nevertheless it was a GOOD read and accordingly gets 4 stars from me.

The Sins of the Father was published in 2012 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles, #1) by Jeffrey Archer.

Let’s go back in time for this family drama set mostly in Bristol from 1919 to 1940. The central character is Harry Clifton, hence the title and not to be confused with the district in Bristol of the same name. Harry Clifton was born in 1920 and this book tells of his young life until he was 20.

I found Only Time Will Tell to be an okay read. It brought back many memories of Bristol, as I had lived there for 20 years. I liked the many mentions of places and roads that I remember. Even my old school of Merrywood was featured and as we lived in the district of Bedminster, Harry’s home in Stillhouse Lane really rang a bell with me. A quick check on streetmap.co.uk brought it all back to life!

The structure of Only Time Will Tell is very different from other novels. It starts with a prelude from the point of view of Maisie Clifton, Harry’s mother. Then you have Harry’s tale from 1920 to 1933, followed by chapters featuring other characters who are involved in Harry’s life. There are further updates from Harry and the other characters until Harry’s section finishes in 1940.

I liked how the other characters filled into the story all the bits that Harry was blissfully unaware of. This way the story built up depth and all those little bits fitted together to give the reader a complete tale. Lots of characters told porkies along the way and I was on my guard from early on that what they said could not be taken as gospel.

I found this novel a comfortable read. It was not spectacular but plodded along in a pleasant way. It was easy reading and told in a nice mature way. Nothing shined about this novel but it was convenient as my daily read and his writing is quality. So this quality writing without a WOW! Factor is an okay 3 star read for me.

Only Time Will Tell was published in 2011 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer.

Adam Scott has been left an unopened envelope in his father’s will. Should he open it or let sleeping dogs lie? Well, if Adam had not opened the envelope, Jeffrey would not have been able to write this novel. So Adam opens this mysterious envelope and has to deal with the consequences!

This novel was written over 30 years ago and I have not read a novel by Jeffrey Archer before. The author had a long political career with the Conservative Party and has been imprisoned for perjury and perverting the course of justice. But as this book was featured as a Kindle Daily Deal for just £1.09p - I thought I would turn a blind eye to his history, grab a copy and read his book with an open mind.

I was very surprised by A Matter of Honour. It is set in 1966 and is a thriller involving fakes, lies and secrets. Modern thrillers contain a lot of detail about email, the internet and mobile phones. But over 50 years ago things were very different! No email, no internet and telephones were connected by copper cables, were not cordless and people used public call boxes by inserting coins in the booth. But people still told lies and bad guys still had to be tackled.

Although this novel was set over 50 years ago, it is still easy to relate to - easy for me as I had used pounds, shillings and pence in my childhood! So in my mind I thought about the time I was a child when I wondered what the adults were doing and what the fuss was all about.

I liked the style of how Jeffrey Archer told his story and for the written word, sounded like Ian Hislop on the BBC television comedy panel show, Have I Got News For You. The character development of Adam Scott was spot on and you could imagine his accent to be similar to Ian Hislop.

I liked the plot of A Matter of Honour and how you developed suspicions of all the characters. The pace was good and the story was engaging. I liked how all the little details sparked in your head making you think, “this is relevant”.

I found this book to be a joy to read, as I was transported back in time and into another world. For all the modern technology we have today, I can imagine these things still going on because of the way people are underneath. I was fully entertained by the depth of this story.

I liked the way Jeffrey Archer wrote this novel and how the characters told lies so easily, making me chuckle because of his own imprisonment for telling porkies. I thought his writing was very clear and the story easy to understand.

A Matter of Honour was a pleasant surprise for me and very different from my usual current day crime thrillers. I enjoyed it as my daily read and the quality of this novel gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I suggest readers forget the time period this novel is set in and just enjoy this story for what it is.

A Matter of Honour was published in 1986 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Body in the Marsh by Nick Louth.

Follow Detective Chief Inspector Craig Gillard as he is on the case to find a missing woman. This is a regular British police procedural crime thriller.

I found The Body in the Marsh to be an okay read. It was a little frustrating for me in parts as it wandered around with the time frame, going back to when DCI Craig Gillard and the missing woman were both teenagers. This story was not just told from the detective’s point of view but included writings by the missing woman before her disappearance, that were not available to the police. More frustration came from the police very conveniently just stumbling across evidence and leads by accident rather than solid police investigation.

The characterization of DCI Craig Gillard and the other officers was okay but this is not a character driven novel. The plot was disappointing and appeared rather shallow until I got about 90% through when all the little details started clicking together and I began to think it was quite clever.

I thought the entertainment value of this book was second rate, like a B movie. All the detail and progression is there but this novel does not shine. There are small little titbits of humour dotted through the story but are not of the depth of stand-up comedy. The best social observation jibe was when DCI Craig Gillard went into a pub and ordered a beer.

When I got to the end of this book, I cast my mind back to form an opinion. The tale had come a fair way and included a secondary plot and storyline. I found the police procedurals to be good and I loved the inclusion of real life crimes and events. The detail of the plot was subtle and then I asked myself the question of realism. Had the missing woman needed to take the actions she did? This lead me to my conclusion that The Body in the Marsh was an okay, 3 star read that did not shine but was readable and was useful when my tachograph recordings showed “period of availability”.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Canelo for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

On the Bright Side by Hendrik Groen.

The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old is his diary for 2015 detailing his life in a care home in Amsterdam. This book follows on from The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old, which was his 2013 diary. Hendrik did NOT publish a diary for 2014. This book can be read as a stand-alone and covers similar ground to the first book.

I found On the Bright Side an easy book to read. There is some humour about life around the care home and I particularly liked the saga of the appearing fruit. I can imagine what havoc some fruit appearing at random would cause in my father’s care home in Cardiff.

I liked how things were put into perspective by how Hendrik swapped his daily entries from pressing global and international issues to the very parochial trivia that consumed the residents of his care home. The joviality of the first book was still there in places but the overall take I got from this book was of a sadness brought about by coping with declining health, death of residents and a negative outlook on old age. The optimism of the first book has gone and I felt like the residents were just hanging around waiting to die.

A lot has changed for Hendrik in those 2 years. He still tells a good tale but this is not a comfortable and cosy read. The first book was quite bright and happy but this book although realistic is a shade depressing. Hendrik is clearly not enjoying his old age as much in 2015 as he did in 2013.

I found On the Bright Side to be a GOOD read and pleased that I have read it. I liked Hendrik’s world view of things and how different generations react to everyday life. However, I did not enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did the first book. I read for pleasure and On the Bright Side gave a rather negative view of old age. It makes you think that although life expectancy is increasing, what little have we to look forward to as our health declines and we may be awaiting our death. On the Bright Side does leave some fond memories but all the sadness including the pet dog made this a GOOD yet 4 star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House UK for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty.

Follow Gerry and Stella Gilmore as they go on a short break away to Amsterdam.

I found Midwinter Break a refreshing change from your average run-of-the-mill mix of novels. It is a love story but not with young, vibrant, enthusiastic twenty year olds. Gerry and Stella are a retired couple who have been married for many, many years. I thought Bernard described the dynamics of having been married together for a very long time spot on. I really engaged with Gerry and Stella, it was all those little things that couples share subliminally in their married lives. Because of their age, they share mutual things, some of which brought a big smile to my face. They have a routine and rather than drag out the whole day, they restrict themselves to an “ailment hour”, when they are free to discuss their aches and pains!

There is lots of good dry humour sprinkled through this story, for example…

They approached the main terminal, protected behind stainless-steel bollards. ‘This must have cost millions,’ Gerry shouted above the noise of their cases. ‘What’s to stop a motorbike bomber going between the bollards?’

In WH Smith’s Gerry bought a packet of Werther’s Original. He’d kid her on that he forgot. Then surprise her just before take-off.

‘D’you like these?’

She held up a cellophane pack from Marks & Spencer.

‘What are they?’

‘New pyjamas.’

‘Black?’

‘As sin.’

He raised an eyebrow and looked up at her.

‘Why? Did you think it’d be a turn-on - like sleeping with a priest?’

‘Priests usually have enough independence to choose their own pyjamas.’

Stella took her purse and approached the counter. She returned carrying Gerry’s drink and a jug. Gerry lifted his glass and looked at the measure.

‘A well-built ant could piss more.’

‘I asked for a double.’

‘You’re learning.’

‘Killing you with kindness.’

‘I’ve missed the Ailment Hour.’

‘We can do a two-hour stint tomorrow. If you feel well enough.’

‘I’ve got these strange hairs growing beneath my watch…’

‘I was only joking.’

I liked how Midwinter Break focused on just Gerry and Stella. I got the impression that I went away with them to Amsterdam and that I was part of the party. This novel also explored Gerry’s relationship with alcohol and Stella’s relationship with Catholicism. Bernard has an extensive use of vocabulary and I liked his use of detail regarding Gerry’s old job as an architect, the troubles that took place in Northern Ireland and the questioning of religion by both Gerry and Stella.

However, this is essentially a love story but has very little in the way of a plot. There are no big surprises and the reader peacefully bumbles along with Gerry and Stella. All very nice in a very leisurely way, a few drinks, some meals and a nice stroll around Amsterdam. Yes, Bernard does the married life thing very well indeed but this does not lead to an exciting read. It is engaging and comfortable but it is not edge of seat stuff. I wondered where this story was going and expected something big to happen at the end. The ending was disappointing but I found Midwinter Break to be a GOOD read that I will give 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad, #6) by Tana French.

Follow Detective Antoinette Conway as she leads the investigation into the death of a young woman found in her own home.

In her last novel in this series, The Secret Place, Tana has us reading about the partnership of Detective Antoinette Conway and Detective Stephen Moran. This pair of detectives continue into this novel but thankfully Tana is back to her usual form and structure.

The Trespasser can be read as a stand-alone. It is a first person narrative crime thriller with a linear time scale. This novel ticks ALL the boxes for me. The characterization of Antoinette is spot on and the relationship between her and Stephen is fully developed.

What I liked most about The Trespasser was the brainstorming between all the Murder Squad detectives. Some of their theories and what-if’s were private thoughts, others were spoken challenges between them. They would then move on to follow their lead. As a reader you had two options, think your own theory of who did it and whether it was manslaughter or murder - OR - just ride along with the novel as you are bombarded with countless theories and what-if’s. I liked how all these theories and what-if’s were built into the story and found it very entertaining as each possibility fully explained the death of the young woman.

There is lots of local character and dialogue which adds to the value of this book. Her vocabulary is extensive and I had to tap my Kindle screen many a time to pull up the dictionary definition.

I liked the detailing of the police procedures and the explanation of the interview techniques used by the detectives. I also liked how the characters lied so very convincingly with statements that were very hard to disprove.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Trespasser and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I found the story very engaging and think it would make a great television drama.

I put my Kindle down and when I took my dog out for his walk, thought about this novel and how Detective Antoinette Conway was very lucky indeed to get a solve on her case. If only the killer had done or not done this or that, they would not have been caught. Sadly this is the latest of the Dublin Murder Squad series but I hope that Tana will write another. Of the six novels, I have given five of them the top score of 5 stars. Only The Secret Place disappointed me and that was not written in her usual style. I think I have become a fan and tomorrow will be a surprise as I open my Kindle with a different author and genre.

The Trespasser was written in 2016 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Secret Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #5) by Tana French.

Follow Detective Stephen Moran of Cold Cases as he helps solve the murder of a teenage boy found on school grounds.

Oh dear, dear. Gone is the usual format I have come to enjoy from Tana and her Dublin Murder Squad series of novels. The Secret Place is a mish mash of a tiresome story. Gone is the strong first person narrative of the lead detective told in real time, to be replaced by two time frames. This story is told through alternating chapters. Part A is a group of 4 teenage boarding school girls and Part B is told from Detective Stephen Moran's point of view, only he is NOT the Senior Investigating Officer. The murder happened over a year ago and this constant swapping every chapter between time frames and points of view drove me potty! It was easy to relate to Detective Stephen Moran as it is a workplace drama but teenage girls is another world!  These stories are not aimed at the YA market so I felt it was wrong to donate half of this book to these teenagers and their childish rantings.

There is no specialist police work in this novel and this case is solved purely by talking to 8 school girls. The plot is average and when I got to the end, I felt disappointed. I ran through the what-if's and thought that adults would not have been fooled into being caught. The case was easy for the police to solve and they made an arrest in just one long day at the boarding school.

I did not find The Secret Place a thrilling read, more of a mystery and a drag at that! The murderer is confirmed around three quarters of the way through this book, leading to the frustration that you know more than the police! The last quarter is spent filling in the gaps, more questioning of the 8 school girls, obtaining a confession and alternating between time frames on every new chapter. Even when the girl is in custody the book falls back in time to reveal a motive as to why this case moved from cold to active!

I found The Secret Place to be a POOR read and it only gets 2 stars from me. This was a big disappointment for me as I have given the previous 4 books in this series the top score of 5 stars each. I hope that the 6th novel sees Tana back to form, otherwise it is 2 strikes and you are out lass.

The Secret Place was written in 2014 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Broken Harbour (Dublin Murder Squad, #4) by Tana French.

Follow Detective Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy as he investigates a crime scene where 2 children have been killed, their father fatally stabbed and their mother sent to hospital with extensive stab wounds.

This is the fourth Dublin Murder Squad novel from Tana and it follows her usual style. Each novel has a new lead character, is written in the first person, has a good balance of work and private life, is realistic, has plenty of background and can be read as a stand-alone.

I really enjoyed reading Broken Harbour. I liked how Tana described the feel and character of new housing estates. I liked how Scorcher was able to build his case given the police had very little to go on. It was entertaining how Scorcher and his rookie partner Richie Curran explored all the possibilities. It was good how their working relationship developed.

As the story rolled on I kept trying to work out how and why the murders had happened. It was quite creepy in places and I really engaged with the story. The plot was good and had plenty of things to make you wonder.

What I liked most about Broken Harbour was the effect it had on me when I got to the end. I felt such a buzz thinking if only he or she had done or said this or that, then Scorcher would never have been able to catch the killer, no matter how many resources the police ploughed into the case.

The fact that this novel is set in Ireland is coincidental as this scenario could so easily have happened at any new-build housing estate in the world. I am a fan of new-build houses and after reading Broken Harbour will always wonder about squirrels as I stroll around with my dog.

So Tana has done it again and Broken Harbour is another book from her that gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Broken Harbour was written in 2012 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad, #3) by Tana French.

In the last Dublin Murder Squad book, Detective Cassie Maddox is working for Detective Frank Mackey of the Undercover Squad. This third book in the series is Frank’s tale. Although Frank is NOT on the Dublin Murder Squad, he does know 2 of the victims and becomes involved in the case.

I loved Faithful Place just as much as I loved the first 2 novels in the series. Yet again it is written in the first person and Tana develops her brand. Although each book is written from the point of view of a different detective each time, you still get the same strong feeling that you are part of the scene and are in the loop.

Yet again this book can be read as a stand-alone. The accent this time is on family life. Although the 2 murders are solved, it is not by regular police work but by Frank working friends and family. I particularly liked the dialogue running through this novel. It is written with a strong Dublin accent and Frank’s mother is the big surprise. Simply put, every time I read her spoken words, all I could think of was Brendan O’Carroll acting the role of Agnes Brown in the extremely popular BBC sitcom Mrs. Brown’s Boys.

Faithful Place moves away from regular murder and police thrillers. This is centered around the dynamics of family life and the meaning of home. There was plenty of back story and Frank’s character was fully developed. Although the tale runs back and forth with Frank’s teenage years 22 years ago, it was told skillfully and this time shifting did not annoy me, it simply added depth to this novel. I really enjoyed reading this book and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Faithful Place was written in 2010 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad, #1) by Tana French.

I was put onto this author by some friends on Goodreads. I liked the reviews they had written, so I slowly invested in the Dublin Murder Squad series to read at a later date. When I got to the end of The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham, his author’s note explained the differences between crime thrillers and their writing styles. Tana French was one of the authors Harry highlighted for producing novels in the format and style I enjoy the most. And oh boy, Harry was right about Tana in his author’s note.

Okay, so I am rather late to the party as In the Woods was written in 2007. But do not let that put you off! This debut novel by Tana gained 4 literary awards and she deserved each and every one of them.

I found In the Woods a great book to live with. It is written in the first person following Detective Rob Ryan of the Dublin Murder Squad. It is told as though Rob is your friend and he is telling you a very long tale over a few beers. In the Woods is a very long novel, knocking just short of 600 pages but it is a great journey for the reader to travel.

I loved the mix and balance of this story. It has police procedure, strong characterization of Detective Rob Ryan, a great back story, mystery, a good plot, a good cast of supporting police officers, a good range of suspects for the murder and a good plot. I developed an empathy very quickly for Rob and it is nice how he talks the reader through the mistakes.

Tana sets her scenes very well indeed. I found her novel very easy to read and follow. Her vocabulary is very extensive and this novel is not cheap, throwaway writing. There is no need to second guess the person who committed the murder, you should just enjoy this novel for what it is. I liked all the psychology woven into the story, how the police profile suspects and how they question them. This all made for an intelligent and adult read.

I was very impressed with In the Woods and it gave me that great feeling of getting to know someone, warts and all. It was a joy to run with this book, day in, day out - I really engaged with it. Between reading sessions my mind was wondering who the murderer was and as the novel progressed I changed my chief suspect time and time again. There were many twists in the plot and I thought that yet another twist would lead to a suspect who I had earmarked earlier as the murderer but I was wrong!

I thought In the Woods was a great read and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. It gave me everything I wanted from a novel and I am so glad that I invested in the other 5 books in the series as when I got to the end, I just wanted to spend more days working alongside the Dublin Murder Squad.

In the Woods was written in 2007 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines

Okay, first things first, this novel is NOT to be confused with the mega selling The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, which was made into a film starring Emily Blunt.

This book however was reduced at the Amazon Kindle Store to just 99p and having read the blurb, I thought this mystery was worth a go for the money.

Anna Rothman, a journalist, is travelling by train from Portsmouth to London. A woman sat next to her catches her attention but leaves the train at Micheldever station, only Anna believes something is wrong. A tragedy then happens to this woman and Anna takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her departure from the train.

I found Girl on a Train to be a POOR read, a mystery that was padded out with lots of unnecessary descriptive text setting out every scene. The extreme detailing of the scenes became tiresome for me to read. I thought the plot was weak with there being only 3 key items to finding out what the Girl on a Train had been involved in. Although these 3 key items involved codes, this does not have the quality of a Dan Brown novel, where there is a lot of deciphering of codes and symbols.

There was however a good range of characters to give plenty of scope to who the bad guy was. But it was stretching motivation to the limits as to why Anna was actually bothered in getting to the bottom of this shallow mystery considering it was unpaid work. Then we had the unlikely coincidences with Anna’s past woven into this tiresome tale. The story trudged on with Anna’s perspective when suddenly I turned the page and whallop! I was now confronted with part two and this was going back in time before the train journey and told the sorry tale from the Girl on the Train’s perspective. This time shift and sudden change of focus annoyed me, big time. To add further annoyance to my reading pleasure, a lot further on and I turned the page and “oh dear”, I had reached part three and I was back to Anna’s perspective. This was really frustrating as not only had it shifted back to the present time but I knew more about what had happened than Anna.

So, all in all, I found Girl on a Train to be a frustrating and annoying read. It was a very easy book to put down but I read it to the end. It was NOT a joy to read but gave me the strong feeling of “I’ve started, so I will finish”. Girl on a Train only gets 2 stars from me but like trains, thankfully there will be another novel shortly to pull into my grasp.

Girl on a Train is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2013.

Better At Friendships by Joseph Reilly.

Cristyn is a 23 year old woman who lives with her divorced father in America. She has many relationships with young men which do not work out. This is her story of unsuccessful relationships and her ups and downs in coping with life's challenges.

I found Better At Friendships to be a tortured tale, a woman unable to find her way in life. It was quite philosophical with the comments provided by the young men she met.Cristyn had many ups and down along the way but this story had an upbeat ending.

I did not like how the time frame of this novel wandered back and forth. Time and time again the focus shifted backwards to previous failed relationships with young men. Then we had imagined content from a young man who had died but was told as though he was still alive!

I thought Better At Friendships was an okay read, it kept me interested. There was a small amount of sex and Cristyn liked it rough but it would not offend my 65 year old wife! It was a middle of the road read, nothing special but standard fayre, so 3 stars from me.

Better At Friendships is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2016.

Cock & Pussy Frisking at Pop Concert by Kirstie Taylor.

Andy and Todd are in the queue for a pop concert, only they have to walk through security. The security guards are doing their job very keenly as they frisk everyone in turn. Then Andy spots just how intimate the frisking becomes and the fun begins.

This short story is a HOOT! It is a fun read that will bring joy, a smile and swelling to everyone. Kirstie writes a first class erotic tale that is clear, focused and imaginative. Her command of English is spot on and this sexy tale has none of the dumbed down and repetitive language used in other adult tales.

I really enjoyed reading this fantasy, it was pitched with such skill. It was a thrilling read that explored spontaneous sex with a stranger and exhibitionism. I liked how an everyday queue became a kinky adventure. It had that lovely feel of playing on the private thoughts that men have whilst going about their daily business. This erotic tale had a lovely ending and left me with NEVER being able to look at a security guard the same way again!

Erotic stories vary tremendously in quality but Kirstie is at the top of her game. I found this short story to be wonderful, so it gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Cock & Pussy Frisking at Pop Concert is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2013.

Gizem: The story of a forbidden fruit by Jakaria Maroof.

Follow Gizem, a young woman in Egypt, as she copes in times of riches and poverty.

This book started off in the present day when Gizem is successful making me wonder where this story would go. Unfortunately it went downhill all the way from there. She was born into a rich family and I enjoyed the sections about the Arab Spring and the Egyptian Revolution but then Gizem was thrown into poverty and this novel became a great drag. This story bumbled along with a dull, soap opera lack of quality style. Then Gizem meets a character called Iblis and the focus turns to him. This POOR novel then turned into a load of suspicious nonsense. I read it to the end but it got no better and was a real drag. Gizem was not even mentioned again and this sad tale did not have a proper ending.

Gizem was badly written with appalling grammar, bad editing and had clearly not been proof-read. It was tiresome reading so many words that a spellchecker would not catch but made no sense as part of that sentence. I get far better English spoken to me from passengers for whom English is a second language.

I did not enjoy reading Gizem and think it is a book to AVOID. I vote this sorry novel the lowest score of just 1 star as I feel it is such a BIG FAIL.

Gizem is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2017.

The Daughter of The Forest by Sharon Gentry.

Chloe is having a Friday night out with Viviane and Mia. They go to a bar and meet some guys. Later they go to the woods where the party continues.

This short story is about romance and werewolves. This should have been a fun read and I liked how Sharon started her story by describing the woods as creepy and mysterious. The tension was there but slowly this short story became quite tame in it's surprise and reading pleasure. The plot was quite predictable and the sex was brief. Nothing shined out as different or stunning. This tale was quite a disappointment and as a showcase for Sharon's talent it was a FAIL. I did not find this short story a joy to read, it did not give me a buzz. I thought the content was padded out and was very lacking. This was a POOR read for me and even with the inclusion of double penetration, The Daughter of The Forest only gets 2 stars from me.

The Daughter of The Forest is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2016.

Guest Bed by Luke P. Narlee

Ron has been married to Kate for 12 years and then he meets Courtney, a stranger who sits next to him on a train.

I found Guest Bed to be a brilliant read and it gave me all I wanted from a book. Guest Bed is told in the first person and as a married man myself, I found Ron extremely easy to relate to. Luke had the dialogue between Kate and Ron spot on, as I believe ALL married women talk like that! There was a great psychological tension running through this novel and I really felt for Ron.

Through his writing, Luke shows he really understands not only the dynamics of marriage but also how men relate to ALL women. Forget the concept of only one woman in the world for every man but consider women as job seekers where many are suitable for the vacancy.

Ron is a likeable character and you can't help feeling sorry for the troubles he has wandered into. Although this book is fiction, this sort of thing can happen in real life. As you read through this book the fear builds that these problems could happen to you. Throw in a few beers whilst your wife's friends are around and this book becomes very, very real.

I found Guest Bed to be a very engaging read for all men. I suspect women will enjoy this book but am not foolish enough to discuss it with my wife! I thought Guest Bed was a VERY GOOD read and reading it was a thrill. I can find nothing wrong with this book, so it gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Guest Bed is Luke's debut novel but from reading it, you would never guess. This man has great talent, he can write a great tale and understands what makes men tick.

Guest Bed was written in 2016 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham.

Follow Detective Sergeant Fiona Griffiths in her sixth novel working with the South Wales Police from Cardiff. This book can be read as a standalone, which was good as I have not read any of Harry's other books. The Deepest Grave is a murder investigation that is told as a first person narrative, so your focus is all about Fiona.

I am a fan of first person narrative novels and Harry gives you the personality of Fiona straight off the bat. I kept thinking of Nessa from Gavin and Stacey, although Fiona never asks "What's occurring?". I liked how Harry used the local character of Cardiff in his story even though no character had a curry and asked for "half and half".

I liked the setting of this novel as I have lived in Cardiff since 1991. It was a joy to read a novel set on my home turf and although Fiona travels around a lot, Harry makes sure all the locations are real. It annoys me when authors set their stories in fictitious locations. I feel that readers would also enjoy this novel even if they had never visited Cardiff. Harry uses Welsh place names and words in such a gentle way that English born readers, me included, will view the spellings as normal, for example Llanymawddwy and Caledfwlch.

The plot was good and every now and then, Harry would review the progress of the murder investigation to stop the reader forgetting any of the details and flow of the story. The Deepest Grave covers a lot of ground and issues. I found it a pleasant read to go through. The ending is fine and everything is wound up tidy. What I liked most was the author's note at the end when Harry explains the differences in crime thrillers.

I thought The Deepest Grave was an enjoyable, workaday, GOOD read. It gave me what I wanted, a story to roll along with, like reading friends' updates on Facebook. The Deepest Grave gets 4 stars from me but Harry does explain in his author's note how different styles of crime thriller appeal to readers. This reasoning I appreciate and although I vote The Deepest Grave 4 stars, for many readers this could be a 5 star read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Orion for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell.

WOW! This novel gets off to a stonking start…

The doctor gave a satisfied nod as he lifted the stethoscope from the woman’s bare chest. ‘Ah, the heart of a lion. We’ll soon have you cleaned up. But now...a little music to ease the passage.’ He did not expect a response because he was talking to himself. It had been that way ever since people could no longer bear to be in his presence.

… Then you, the reader follow Detective Ruby Preston as she leads her team in East London to catch a serial killer.

I found Sleep Tight to be a very, very good book. I liked the way Caroline told her story. It was great how you got both sides of the tale, the police and the bad guy. The plot was quite involved and I liked how doubt was thrown at all the characters, hint, hint and hint making you wonder who might also be involved. The actions of the bad guy were very, very creepy and were very engaging.

It was a pleasure to read this novel and it gave me the same enjoyment I got from Line of Duty, a popular TV series centered around corruption within the British police service. There was lots of action and tension as Ruby raced to get the bad guy.

I had loved Caroline’s previous novel Witness and I found Sleep Tight to be just as good. Both these books get the top score of 5 stars from me. The crime thriller market is quite crowded but Caroline is a the top of the league.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt.

A stray dog attaches himself to Cara, a homeless 29 year old woman. This is the tale of their journey within America to find a forever home.

I was attracted to this book by it’s cover. There is something about the bond that holds between a dog and their owner. Although the blurb for this novel describes it as contemporary women’s fiction, I feel that this will also appeal to male dog owners too. I think that this story would be a good holiday read as when you are away from your home, you have only the basics around and are temporarily homeless too.

Wish Me Home covers a lot of issues. Homelessness, foster care, the kindness of strangers, dog welfare and the dynamics of a family. I liked how this story was told and I very quickly developed an empathy for Cara. I thought it was good how Cara’s situation focused highly on what is really important in life and how the stray dog became dependent on her, giving all his trust and love.

Wish Me Home was a very pleasant read. The pace was comfortable and there were loads of feel good moments. I liked all the dog parts of this story and the romance was gentle too. No harm came to any animal and there was no gritty sex to read through. It was a nice cosy warm read that makes readers who have both a dog and a home feel really good about themselves.

Okay, the generosity of strangers was rather unrealistic but don’t let that put you off this story. I found Wish Me Home to be a GOOD holiday type read and it does have a happy ending. This book gave me that nice passing through feeling, as though I had met Cara on holiday for 14 days but we would never meet again. A book that leaves such a nice resonance behind gets 4 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Lake Union Publishing for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Last Breath by Robert Bryndza.

This is the fourth Detective Erika Foster crime thriller but it can be read as a stand-alone. This novel is a regular British police drama and centers around the problems of dating someone for the very first time.

I enjoyed reading this book and liked how it covered the current problems faced by users of social media. It was both entertaining and informative how bad guys can use Facebook etc to gain the trust of their targets.

I liked the detail involved in this story, how the bad guy was covering their tracks and that you also got their point of view on their chosen targets. I thought the police investigation was realistic and I liked how there were hitches in finding the bad guy.

The plot was clever and made the criminal detection hard work for the team involved. I liked the pace of this novel and how the story developed. The feel of the story was similar to how users view their activity on Facebook with the reader thinking they are in the loop.

Characterization was very good among ALL the characters, the police, the victims, family and friends plus the bad guy. This is quality writing and I liked it as much as Robert’s last novel Dark Water. What more can I say, except that Last Breath gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.