March Books Round-Up

Here's what I've been reading in March:

The Stolen Girls - DI Lottie Parker #2 by Patricia Gibney - which is action packed and un-put-downable! Lottie and the team have to find out if the murder of two young women is connected. The story is harrowing in places and involves human trafficking. Why did that woman and her son turn up at Lottie's home asking for help and what is the connection with Adam's Tour of Duty in Kosovo. An absolutely brilliant read. Highly recommend.

The Art of Not Being Dead - A Health of Strangers Short Story by Lesley Kelly - I loved the first part in the Health of Strangers series and this short story is great! It's fab to meet well loved characters again and be involved in a mini mystery involving a missing nurse and an art dealer (I especially loved the description of the get-away from the art gallery!) Looking forward to reading the second full size novel in the series - Songs by Dead Girls (which is out in April).

The Lost Child - DI Lottie Parker #3 by Patricia Gibney - I just love this series so much! Lottie is finding it hard to cope with work, her three teenage kids, her mother and being a granny. She and Detective Boyd and the team are flung into an unusual murder - an older lady is found dead in the house of her daughter and her daughter is missing... It's a fast paced story which I couldn't put down.

No Safe Place - DI Lottie Parker #4 by Patricia Gibney* - I just love the characters of DI Lottie Parker and her sidekick Boyd and am a huge fan of the series.

As ever, it's a fast paced read which I couldn't put down. A girl has gone missing and is found half covered in an freshly dug grave. Another young woman goes missing and the team race to find her and the killer before it's too late. There seems to be connections with a ten year old case and the train station at Ragmullan - girls are being abducted from the Dublin train and then suddenly it all becomes a little too close to home for Boyd..

Annoying McMahon, is back as Lottie's temporary Boss and sparks fly. He's determined to bring her down when all she wants to do is solve the case. As ever Lottie is juggling work with her family and romantic entanglement with Boyd (I'd like to see them get together for real in book #5). A great read and fantastic series.

Forget Me Not - Detective Jess Bishop Series Book #1 by Kierney Scott - I found this book a little slow to begin with but before long I was totally engrossed in the storylines and the character of Jess Bishop.

The first body is washed up in a Louisiana swamp which has strange markings on it. In rather quick succession more bodies turn up with the same marking which means a serial killer is at large. Jess is worried her past is catching up with her as she feels the case may be linked to something which happened in her past.

I didn't immediately take to Jess, I found her prickly, annoying and with little personality but as the story develops we learn more about her and why she's the way she is. Jamieson, her partner is back after a spell undercover. He knows her better than anyone and she's upset he's back with a pregnant soon to be wife in tow. I loved this fast paced story and Jess Bishop. Would highly recommend.

Star of the North by D B John* - I just loved this incredible and fascinating read which I keep thinking about. The book is published on 10 May so I'll let you know my thoughts next month. It's just brilliant and everyone should read it!

The Stranger by Kate Riordan* - I absolutely loved this twisty story with interesting characters and storylines with a setting in beautiful Cornwall in 1940. Three very different women arrive at Penhallow Hall to work as Land Girls. We learn at the beginning of the story that Diana, beautiful, headstrong and rather cruel goes missing and the story goes back in time both in the days leading up to her disappearance and life before the war at the Hall. 

Rose stayed nearby as a teenager and has fond memories of her time there while Jane feels like she's never fitted anywhere. Eleanor who lives at the Hall with her aging mother is still caught in the past. A hauntingly beautiful story which I loved.

Bloody Sisters by Julie Shaw - I received this book from Lainey at So many books, so little time.  Vicky and Lucy are best friends and become blood sisters. They'll do anything for each other until Vicky meets and falls head over heels for local bad lad, Paddy. Lucy and her boyfriend Jimmy can't stand Paddy and will do anything to stay out of his way.

Paddy is an abusive partner who likes to control Vicky and as she's so in love with him will turn a blind eye to whatever he does. When he tries to put her in the frame for murder will Lucy be there to help her no matter what? 

Deadly Secrets - Erika Foster #6 by Robert Bryndza* - OMG this is a brilliant read. I so recommend. It's not published until the middle of April so I'll review it in my April roundup. It's just SO good!

Hide & Seek by Richard Parker - this was a fast paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Lana is in the kitchen and her son Cooper is playing in the back garden. She sees a man grab him and does everything she can to get her son back. Lana becomes obsessed mum and doesn't let Cooper out of her sight. Her husband Todd feels she's being a bit OTT and that they need to forget about the attempted abduction and move on.

They win a trip to an adventure park and decide to go. Disaster strikes when Cooper is snatched and Todd is out cold. Lana believes it's a serial killer who has her son and Todd believes it's his fault and everything is much closer to home... An edge of the seat read which I loved! Can't wait to read more by Richard Parker.

*copies from the publishers via Netgalley