May Book Round-Up

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

Absent (DS Coupland #4) by Emma Salisbury* - I simply love the Coupland series. See my review HERE.

Snap by Belinda Bauer*** - Jack, Joy and Merry await their mum coming back from the phone box. Their car has broken down and it's a sweltering hot day in the summer of '98. They wait, and wait, and wait. Until they realise she's not coming back.

Their father is distraught and disappears leaving Jack in charge. Jack turns to burglary to make ends meet, helping himself to electrical goods, food and the occasional sleep in a cozy bed where he likes to pretend he's living a normal, good, decent life.

One day on a job Jack spots the knife that killed his mother and leaves it beside the bed of the homeowner, Catherine, a young pregnant woman along with a note....DCI John Marvel is drafted in to snare "goldilocks" and stumbles upon new evidence on the murder case of their mum. A great fast paced read which I'd recommend.

Songs by Dead Girls by Lesley Kelly** - having loved the first installment of the Health of Strangers series (and the short read) I couldn't wait to read the second in the series. This story involves a missing academic, a prostitute and a drug dealer. The HET Team chase up those who have missed their health check or are in danger of missing it. 

Mona and the boss Paterson are in London trying to track down the Professor while Maitland is left in charge much to Bernard's disgust. With brilliant storylines, banter and lots of laugh out loud moments. I simply loved it.

Dying Truth (DI Kim Stone #8) by Angela Marsons*** - OMG I simply loved the latest DI Kim Stone book! Fast paced and exciting I devoured it in a few sittings.

The setting is a very expensive boarding school, Heathcrest Academy where a young girl has supposedly committed suicide. Kim's not one for shutting a case when there's a niggle in her mind. Something isn't right and she's determined to find out the truth. 

There are secret elistist clubs where the students with the right connections get asked to join. To refuse is unheard of and punishable. Kim, Bryan, Dawson and Stacey are on the case to find out who is telling the truth and who is lying.. The story has a shocking explosive ending. Highly recommend.

Her Name was Rose by Claire Allan*** - this debut novel is published in June so I'll leave my thoughts in my June round-up.

Her Secret by Kelly Forentina** - I took part in the Blog Tour for this cracking novel. See my review HERE.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan**** - Anna Kerrigan, is nearly twelve when she goes with her father to meet a man called Dexter Styles who Anna senses is crucial to her family's survival. His house at Manhattan Beach spellbounds her.

Her father suddenly disappears, no one knows where he's gone but Anna doesn't stop looking for him. She can't believe he'd leave her mother and disabled sister Lydia, a sister Anna adores.

The country is at war and Anna finds work at a Brooklyn naval yard doing a job a man would normally have done. She's determined to be a diver and through perseverance becomes the first woman diver repairing war ships.

Quite by chance she meets Dexter Styles again and is drawn to him. The feelings seem quite mutual until she tells him who she really is and that she's still searching for her missing father.

A stunning historical novel all about the depression, the war years, gangsters, sailors, divers, the sea, the union men and forbidden love. I loved it.

Only the Dead Know - A Daniel 'uneasy' Truce Mystery by C J Dunford*** - I really enjoyed the first in this new series. Daniel "uneasy" Truce is back in civvy street after a traumatic military tour of the Middle East.

He's got PTSD but manages to land himself a job in an investigations unit. His boss hates him and gives him the job of closing down the case of the old lady who believes she witnessed a murder. There's something about the case which niggles him and he just doesn't want to let it go. What is it that everyone else is missing? A great read. Already looking forward to book #2.

From last month:

I took part in two blog tours - A Fractured Winter by Alison Baillie* (REVIEW) and Fault Lines by Doug Johnstone** (REVIEW) and thoroughly enjoyed both.  

In March, I read the incredible Star of the North by D B John*** (it wasn't published until this month). It's a book I feel everyone should read as I found it totally fascinating.

Two teenagers are snatched on a South Korean beach never to be seen again. Jenna can't forget her sister, Soo-min and vows to find out what happened to her. She gets on with her life and becomes a Professor at a University but never stops looking for her twin.

The CIA get wind of this and she trains to become one of their operatives (which in itself makes fascinating reading). She goes on an official trip in North Korea to get a feel for it and again undercover to try and save someone's life.

There are two stories intertwined with Jenna's and Soo-min's, a North Korean woman, Ms Moon whose life changes the day she finds the balloon from the village down below and a high raking official. The story gives us glimpses into a very, very different world. Loved it.

What have you been reading this month?

*copy from the author

**copy from the publisher

***copy from the publisher via Netgalley

****copy from Love Reading