Witness by Caroline Mitchell.

Rebecca is a witness and sends her fiance Solomon to prison for the murder of Jake. Ten years later, Solomon is released from prison on license and he wants revenge.

I found Witness a very powerful story. It is a psychological thriller and Caroline’s writing is top quality. She tells a very, very creepy tale and the tension she creates is incredible. Right from the start of her story, my alarm bells were ringing. She mentions things casually in passing and I thought “hang on?” or “you stupid cow!”.

Caroline has the art of great storytelling and the characters of Rebecca and Solomon are fully developed. By the end of this novel, you feel as though Rebecca and Solomon are real people who you have worked alongside for maybe a decade.

I liked how Caroline chose to write some chapters from Rebecca’s point of view but others from Solomon’s side. You get both sides of this story and it does include some domestic abuse.

The story does not build with a linear timeline but wanders back and forth from before Solomon was sent to prison and the current day. Normally this back and forth would drive me bonkers but Caroline used this time shifting purely for you to understand the characters as the psychology is quite deep. Bear with it because Caroline tells a great story and a linear timeline would not have worked.

I loved the way details were thrown into this story, which forced you to join up the dots. As you read through the chapters, you constantly think “I wonder if?” and this added so much enjoyment to this book because you felt like a fly on the wall. Because the author is a woman and Rebecca was a victim of domestic abuse, readers may feel this book is aimed only at women. But men should give this book a read too because it is very, very good. Hen pecked husbands could even fantasise about having some control over their wives!

Witness is a great story driven by fear and I can find nothing wrong with this novel. Okay, I did wonder who the second man was in the video but that does not really matter! Also the cyclist who spat on a character was later referred to as a jogger but that would be nit picking! Yes, some readers may find the subject of domestic abuse to be uncomfortable but bear with it. Sex is mentioned but there is no graphic sex. Sean who is Rebecca’s husband after Solomon goes to prison, is a vet and animals are included in the story but no harm comes to an animal. What you have is an excellent psychological thriller that gets the top score of 5 stars from me.

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

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole.

Ragdoll is a British crime thriller that was a rejected television screenplay as Daniel informs the reader at the start of his debut novel. Do NOT let this put you off, as television is incredibly hard to break into, so sit back in your favourite seat and enjoy this book for what it is, a shocking crime thriller.

Ragdoll gets it’s name from the crime scene where parts of six different bodies have been stitched together to form an artwork. Then the media gets a list of six more people to be killed along with their execution dates. Ragdoll is a gruesome tale but Daniel ticks all the boxes to write a thrilling 5 star read.

Characterisation is good and the back story is proportional to the excellent plot. The pace of this novel is good and it gets you guessing as slowly more victims meet their deaths in colourful and imaginative ways. This novel is content rich and the reasons behind the murders are very clever. Hint… by coincidence it was the same motives and MO as the episode of Silent Witness that was broadcast by the BBC on Tuesday 24th January 2017. Was it an urban myth because many people do keep a pay-as-you-go mobile phones active, just in case!

Despite all the gory action and killing there is still plenty of dark, workplace humour sprinkled throughout this novel. For example…

He was growing increasingly frustrated, stubbornly refusing to admit that he had no idea how to play the CCTV footage, trapped inside the stupid little USB stick, through the television. ‘There’s a hole on the side of the telly,’ said Finlay, over fifteen years his senior, as he entered the room. ‘No, on the, down -oh, let me do it.’ Finlay removed the USB drive from an air vent on the back of the television and plugged it in.

Baxter picked up the half-empty bottle of red wine. ‘Wine?’ she offered pleasantly. ‘Depends, what kind is it?’  ‘Red.’ ‘I can see that, I meant: where is it from?’  ‘Morrisons.’  ‘No, I mean… I’ll pass’  Baxter shrugged and returned to her box.

...So I really enjoyed reading Ragdoll, it has a great balance of things that make for an entertaining read. It has that lovely mix of police procedure, crime scene, intricate plot and subtle humour that make you look forward to your next reading session. It is the same joy you get from following that excellent crime drama on Channel 4 television called No Offence starring the sexy chubby actress Joanna Scanlan.

Ragdoll clearly shows that Daniel has a great talent as an author. I am very impressed by his debut novel and feel he has the ability to write a great series of novels that should make him a household name. Well done mate, 5 stars from me! Oh and I loved that bit about computer facial recognition not always getting the right face but a list of clearly NOT the right people!

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

An Ishmael of Syria by Asaad Almohammad.

Adam was born in Syria and as the current troubles increase he leaves to live in Malaysia. This novel looks at his life and family in Syria and how he copes living away from them in Malaysia.

Asaad covers an awful lot of ground in his novel. His writing style is similar to Jeremy Clarkson and you can imagine Adam deploying a Yorkshire accent as he rants about Syria, politics, religion and women in a very blokey Top Gear way. I liked Adam’s character as he appeared very knowledgeable, educated and street-wise. I very quickly developed an empathy for Adam. This was achieved in a simple stand-point as Adam calls himself a global-citizen and not a Syrian or an Arab. This is very easy for the reader to identify with as Adam then comes across as another bloke rather than a member of a country or race. I feel the same way myself, I am just an ordinary bloke rather than a white skinned Englishman living in Wales. Adam does have a good rant at how race plays an integral part in his life in Malaysia and how this ignorance is both frustrating and wrong. Asaad has a very extensive vocabulary which makes his novel very descriptive.

The structure of this novel is soft. There are opinion related bits where Adam puts the world to rights, parts relating to his life in Syria and parts following his life in Malaysia. Then there are parts just reflecting on the differences between cultures before moving onto the shock and awe of war torn Syria. So this novel does float about quite a lot but the general direction is a bloke in the pub ranting about what is wrong with the world, to a depressing end of what a hell of earth Syria has become.

I found this to be a good book to read. It was interesting and refreshing to get a personal opinion about ordinary life far away from home. It did not provide a regular novel reading experience though. There was not a big range of developed characters building an extensive plot. This book is more an exploration of life, how it is now. It is not a story that builds hope in the reader as it grows to a happy end. It is not an entertaining read although there is some sarcasm to bring the odd smile. To call this book a novel is misleading as it lacks the storyline and structure of your average book/novel/tale/thriller. It does however highlight the plight of people living a very different life to people in the Western world. It does provide an escapism for readers in their peaceful and stable homes. When you get to the end of a good regular novel you sit back and marvel at how much you enjoyed the characters and the plot. When you get to the end of An Ishmael of Syria you feel very sad and angry at the total mess the country Syria has become. You feel depressed about man’s inhumanity to man, the senseless violence sweeping the Middle East and the total waste and cheapness of life in Syria.

I am pleased a friend on Goodreads put me onto this book. I think it is a good book that I will vote 4 stars. It does not work as a novel in the storytelling sense but scores highly in the eyeopener stakes. Readers can enjoy fiction because they are shielded from reality but An Ishmael of Syria is based on the actual misery of ordinary people in Syria. So if you want a heart warming, cosy and loving read this is not a book for you. But if you live in the real world and can accept the brutality of war, this book is worth you time although it left me feeling very sad and thankful for the location of my accident of birth.

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

The Chibok Girls by Helon Habila.

In 2014 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram. In his short 128 page book, Nigerian born Helon Habila writes about the kidnappings plus Islamist militancy, politics, religion and the culture of life in northern Nigeria.

I found this book quite a shock and it has the same awakening effect on me as an episode of Unreported World, a current affairs documentary series on Channel 4 television at home in the UK.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world

Helon Habila takes the reader on a journey that is far removed from normal life in the Western world. It is quite a shock to read about the daily struggles of ordinary people in northern Nigeria. Helon explains the background to the region with it’s many violent conflicts, corruption, political squabbles and religious differences. Although the title refers to the kidnapped schoolgirls, this short book is basically about the political and religious scene in northern Nigeria.

I found this book very easy to follow and the issues involved very familiar. Although it is very sad what has happened over the years to the people of northern Nigeria, their experiences are not unique. Their political and religious struggles are mirrored across the whole of the Middle East and many parts of Asia.

Helon’s writing style is very similar to that of Robert Fisk and this book reminded me of Pity the Nation - Robert Fisk’s classic recounting of the clashes in Lebanon. Helon lays the history squarely on the table, explains the culture and the political and religious problems within the society but leaves the reader to make their own mind up regarding the causes and who the bad guys truly are.

I liked The Chibok Girls because it is a real story that was not widely covered by the Western media. It brought it home to me just how lucky people in the West are and how the same problems involving Muslims appear to repeat themselves, time and time again throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

I was pleased that Helon fully explained all the politics and religious issues involved. I found it informative and although the title is misleading, I got a lot from reading this short book. It was good to be able to learn about a foreign country from the comfort and safety of my sofa. There are many problems in this world and Helon enables us to understand it from the sidelines. I am pleased that Helon did an awful lot of research to give the reader the full picture and put the record into the public domain. He has made a great record and analysis of this period in Nigerian history and for this I think he deserves the top score of 5 stars. Well done mate for giving me a first class read with lots of politics and religion but no sex.

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

Truth Will Out by A. D. Garrett.

Follow Professor Nick Fennimore in this crime thriller that runs on the concept of how wrongly interpreted evidence can mislead a police investigation.

I found Truth Will Out to be a refreshing change from the usual crime thriller where forensic evidence is simply gathered and it all clearly points to one person who is then convicted of the crime.

I liked the format and structure of this novel. Each chapter started with a thinking point related to forensics. The story starts off giving the reader scenarios of how forensic evidence can clearly point in one direction but can lead to a Miscarriage of Justice and an innocent person convicted. So the seeds of doubt are firmly set in the reader’s mind as one crime after another takes place and you wonder whether the police are being mislead by the evidence they have found.

I enjoyed reading Truth Will Out and it was lovely having another direction to consider all through this novel, as new items of evidence were discovered. We get quite used to criminals in novels doing things to simply cover their tracks but to leave behind evidence to mislead the police investigations made the plots in this novel very involved and a joy to read.

What was nice about Truth Will Out is that it was not a single crime but a series of different crimes. Therefore you felt as though you were living in Professor Nick Fennimore’s shoes. And what a great journey you had in Nick’s shoes, I learned quite a lot about forensics and how evidence can put people on the wrong tracks. This does not only relate to criminal investigations by police officers but also to employees in all industries as their employers gather tons of evidence throughout their working day. For years now I have warned new coach drivers that from the moment they walk into their depots, they are compiling evidence that will be stored and could be used against them. The dashboard cameras have seen many drivers sacked and we now call these “dash cams” the more fitting “sack cams”. As A. D. Garrett states in his novel “every contact leaves a trace”.

I liked how the forensic science behind obtaining evidence was explained in this novel. I found it both educating and entertaining. For years now I have wondered how laboratory technicians have analysed those dodgy stains and through the commentary of Professor Nick Fennimore I now understand about the acid phosphatase test and the Teesside Protocol.

Truth Will Out gave me a very full and positive reading experience. Between reading sessions my head was buzzing. There was more than one plot and the whole story was very complex. The level of detail was high and the content was very rich. At the end I thought “WOW!” and the whole experience was quite exhausting as this novel covered an awful lot of ground.

I found Truth Will Out to be far, far better than your average crime thriller. I feel it added so much more to the game in a crowded market. I can find nothing wrong with this novel, so it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I have not read an A. D. Garrett novel before and although Truth Will Out is his third Professor Nick Fennimore novel, it can so easily be read as a standalone. I am now interested in reading the previous 2 novels or any later novels in the series. This is because of the sheer quality of his content and writing. So I will be using a fresh pair of latex gloves from my bag, not to put fuel oil into my Volvo coach but to enjoy another investigation with Nick.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Little Brown Book Group UK for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The Taken by Alice Clark-Platts.

Follow Detective Inspector Erica Martin as she investigates a murder in Durham of a celebrated preacher, Tristan Snow.

Although this is the second DI Erica Martin novel, it can be read as a stand-alone. There is an awful lot of content in this novel and gives the reader plenty to think about. It is not a regular police crime thriller but one that explores religion, loyalty and the whole meaning of family. I liked the plot and all the characters were likely suspects in the murder of Tristan Snow.

I liked the way the story developed including the journal written by Tristan's wife, Sera. This is not a forensic science heavy police thriller but one where the police have to listen very carefully to what people are saying. There is plenty of drama too with many shocks along the way. Each of these actions are later fully explained and everything has a knock on effect, including the pork chop!

The story was basically set in Durham, a county I lived in for the first 10 years of my life. It also features trips to nearby Peterlee and across the country to Blackpool. The local detail is very good and adds greater depth to this novel.

I found The Taken to be a GOOD read and I liked how you had suspicions about all the characters. It was great that after the murder other incidents took place, so it was not just a simple murder investigation. It was for me an engaging and entertaining read that gets 4 stars from me. I am now looking forward to hopefully the 3rd DI Erica Martin novel.

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

Blood Lines by Angela Marsons.

Follow Detective Kim Stone in the 5th book of the series as she is on the hunt for a single stab wound killer.

This book can be read as a stand-alone and I have not read any other book by Angela. It is set in the West Midlands and is a mix of Police procedurals and a psychological thriller.

Although many of my friends on Goodreads really enjoyed this book, I found it rather run of the mill. Nothing really hit me about this book, I thought the plot was average and the psychological elements rather far fetched. I did not gain an empathy for the police officers and found the characterisation slim. I did not find Blood Lines to be an entertaining or gripping read.

I found this book quite ordinary and even the dialogue between the characters did not brighten it up. The odd bits of workplace humour were shallow and only raised a small smile, for example…

She found her colleague and friend outside, staring down in amazement. ‘You bought a patio set?’

‘It’s hardly that,’ she said. ‘It’s a bistro table with two chairs. If they’d sold it with just the one chair I’d have bought that,’ she said honestly.

‘But it’s garden furniture,’ he said, putting the drinks down. She looked at the table and chairs aghast.

‘Damn it, they never told me that in the shop,’ she said, sarcastically.

… Blood Lines for me was just a 3 star okay read. I would not recommend this book although it did fill the time. I know Angela has lots of fans who love her books but sorry, I will not become one of them. There was just one point in the story that made me gasp but the rest was just a plodding police story.

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