Hands Down by Felix Francis

April 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Hands Down by Felix Francis
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sid Halley, a private investigator, has a new left hand, having had a transplant since his last appearance in Refusal. After receiving death threats, an ex-jockey trainer friend calls Sid to ask for his help, but Sid has his own problems to deal with; like recovering from surgery and saving his crumbling marriage.

When his friend’s stable yard is torched, horses killed, and the friend is found dead, Sid can only blame himself for not helping sooner. The police think it’s suicide, but Sid is not convinced after his friend’s terrified phone calls. Heavy with a guilty heart, Sid starts to investigate and soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy that cuts to the very heart of the integrity of British horse racing.

Can Sid figure out what happened to his friend, or will he be the next one that the killer targets?

Sid Halley is having a rough time. His beloved wife, Marina, has decided she needs a break to think about their future and has gone to visit her dying father in the Netherlands with their young daughter. Still reeling from this emotional blow, Sid is asked for help by a friend who is an ex-jockey now trainer. Gary is being threatened and needs a friend he can trust, only before Sid can discuss what’s going on Gary’s stable is torched and his horses killed. Can Sid investigate what’s happening and sort out his marital crisis without anyone getting hurt in the meantime?

I’ve been a big fan of the various Sid Halley stories and found this addition was quite good. While all the previous books don’t need to have been read, I do feel that knowing who the main characters are in this series would give the relationship/emotional plotline a bit more oomph and have more meaning. The mystery aspect is new to this book and doesn’t really have any cross over to the previous books so I feel readers primarily concerned with the investigation side of things should be able to easily pick this book up by itself.

Readers looking for a fast paced or more action orientated mystery might find this doesn’t quite suit their needs. While I do feel the action is quicker than many British police procedural novels, I’ve read this isn’t an American or spy thriller where everything is just go-go-go from the first page till the explosive conclusion, but neither do I feel the is the pace slow or at all plodding. This is a nice balance somewhere in between.

I do admit that Sid’s marital issues take up a fair chunk of the pages and while I personally thought this helped balance out the story and made Sid feel more of a well-rounded family man I could understand if some readers are only really interested in the mystery and investigative aspects to the book.  This was a solid mystery with a well thought out plot.

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Watch and Prey by JM Dalgliesh

April 25, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Watch and Prey by JM Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

You can hide, but you can’t run…

When the body of a church warden is discovered hanging from the belfry of a village church, DI Tom Janssen and his team must investigate the circumstances that led to his death.

Whilst navigating the fallout from the conclusion of their previous case, the Norfolk CID team is under intense scrutiny with another police force investigating their recent conduct. Some people would like nothing more than to see the team fail. With no clear motive for murder or a reason to take his own life, the team have little to go on.

Meanwhile, a hit and run accident on the Sandringham Estate leaves a pregnant woman in hospital and when the fleeing vehicle is located – abandoned beside a coastal sailing club – the investigating team find more than they bargained for when they look inside.

The hunt is on for a brutal murderer whose motives and goals are unknown, and when other interested parties appear in the area the stakes are raised further. Just who are the hunters, who is watching, and, more importantly, who is the prey?

Still trying to navigate and digest the ramifications of their previous case, DI Tom Janssen and his team are shocked to be called back in to work almost immediately. The body of a church warden has been found hanging from a belfry, and small inconsistencies have them all agreeing the scene isn’t quite what it appears to be. When a hit and run then leaves a pregnant woman and her toddler in hospital, the team is stretched thin and working hard to keep afloat. Can DI Janssen and his team uncover the truth behind everything before it’s too late?

I have found this to be an enjoyable British Police Procedural mystery series. This latest book picks up almost immediately after the evens of the previous book wrap up and while there are still some tendrils of the past case woven into this story, I do feel they are explained well enough that readers should feel comfortable reading this book even if they haven’t read the previous one.

What I thoroughly enjoyed though was there were two different cases in this book and while I felt from the beginning, they might be linked the author took everything at a solid pace and there were plenty of turns and investigation. While I didn’t feel at any point, I had to suspend my disbelief there were a few coincidences and I think some readers might feel the cases are a little too closely linked. That said this is a fairly rural area and so to me it does seem fair that residents and families are quite overlapping at times.

With two solid murder mystery plots and a primary cast of strong and memorable characters I feel this is a well plotted and enjoyable book and a good series to sink your teeth into. I’m looking forward to more of these books soon.

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Murder Of The Bride by Faith Martin

April 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murder Of The Bride by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books, London
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

DI Hillary Greene is called out to attend a suspicious death at Three Oaks Farm in the picturesque village of Steeple Barton.

The large farmhouse is filled with music and revellers, but when she steps into the farm’s cowshed, Hillary finds a dead bride. Dressed in a sumptuous white wedding gown, the young, beautiful redhead had clearly been strangled.

But not everything is what it seems, and the victim turns out to be at the centre of a web of jealousy and intrigue in the close-knit village. Many of the villagers have a motive for murdering her but they’re not giving up their secrets easily.

Can Hillary discover the real reason for this brutal crime and cope with the spiralling revelations about her dead ex-husband?

When a young lady at a fancy dress party is found murdered in a cow shed DI Hillary Greene and her team are called in to investigate. The beautiful woman – dressed as the bride she would never become – doesn’t appear to really have any enemies. But the more Hillary digs into her life, the more she realizes just how complicated people really are.

I have been greatly enjoying this series and found this to be a strong addition. The murder mystery is interesting and while the pace is a little slower – more that of a Police procedural rather than an action/adventure – I really did find that the plot unknotted quite well. I also really enjoy that there are a few longer running story arcs through this series, like that of Hillary trying to get her house back and the leftover dregs of her ex-husbands schemes. The possibly blossoming romance also is a very slow-burn and seems to be starting to get somewhere. I also appreciated that there is a new boss for Hillary and her team and the author made it clear this character was going to have quite the mysterious background and motivations for his transfer.

Overall I found this a really interesting book and I’m eager to keep reading. While the mystery plot can absolutely be read alone readers who dislike reading longer story plot arcs out of order might want to consider reading this series in the correct order. I do feel that everything is explained well enough people can pick this up by itself and still thoroughly enjoy it, but for me personally a lot of the fun is in the fact there are a few longer-running character storylines, and I could understand if readers wanted the full story in order and not get muddled or spoilers. I’m enjoying this British police mystery.

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Killing By Numbers by MS Morris

April 23, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Killing By Numbers by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A work of art. A mysterious number. A secret worth killing for.

When reclusive artist, Gabriel Quinn, is gunned down outside a gallery on Oxford High Street, Detective Inspector Bridget Hart investigates the world of contemporary art, where paintings can change hands for millions in the auction room.

Bridget is convinced that the last words spoken by the artist – a mysterious code of 8 digits and a letter – are key to unravelling the mystery of his death.

But when her ex-husband, Ben, now a senior detective with the Metropolitan Police in London shows up with new information about the murdered man, Bridget’s personal and professional lives are brought crashing together with dramatic consequences.

After her success with leading her first murder investigation, DI Bridget Hart is enjoying a well-earned day off and looking forward to a date later that evening at the opera. Her relaxing day is toppled, however, when she’s called in on a new investigation. A young artist has been shot outside a gallery on Oxford High Street and it’s up to Bridget and her team to discover what’s going on.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was very pleased to find this second book just as enjoyable. A solid British Police procedural style of murder mystery set in Oxford I found the pace and plotting to be well written and enjoyable to follow along as it unfolded. I really enjoyed the various characters of the main team and found the few secondary characters in Bridget’s personal life to be equally well written and an excellent source to round out Bridget and her day-to-day life.

There’s a bit of understandable conflict between Bridget and her teenage daughter. While I admit I found it a little annoying that Chloe was the typical teenager I have to give kudos to the authors for the fact she is realistic and utterly relatable to anyone who knows young adults around that difficult age. This also added some conflict to the plot without dropping too far into the usual “love life is a disaster” arena which gets a lot of use in many series like this.

Readers looking for a slightly different (i.e. non-Met, non-London based) British mystery should find this a refreshing change of pace. I liked it and am eager for the next in the series.

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Venus by Marteeka Karland

April 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Venus by Marteeka Karland
Iron Tzars MC 13
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Sorrel

Venus: I come from world filled with violence, death, and impossible choices. I’ve only backed down from fight once, and that left me with pain and regret. But now, I have chance to balance scales. I’m known as most dangerous member of Salvation’s Bane MC. But truth is, beneath tough exterior, I’m still a scared young woman running from monsters, trying to protect those I love. That fear ends today. Only problem? Biker named Piston. Doesn’t know meaning of personal space. He’s always there, watching me, protecting me, and even though I’d never admit it, his presence brings strange sense of peace. He makes me want things I can never have.

Piston: For more than a decade, I’ve been Venus’s silent protector. In the shadows, I’ve watched her, stalking her every move. When she settled in Palm Beach with Salvation’s Bane, I made sure to be close by. I keep an eye on her, guarding her, even if she doesn’t realize it. But when an enemy from her past threatens her, I step out of the shadows. Venus is on the hunt, and the monster she’s chasing has awakened the beast in me. I protect what’s mine. And Venus? She’s mine.

Venus is dangerous and this book or this heroine is not one that is going to wait for someone to come and help her. She has the skills to do what needs to be done, so she will do it. I loved seeing their chemistry develop. Their chemistry is spicy. There are aspects of bondage such as tying hands in this.

He is a bit of a stalker and knows more about her than she thinks. The author did a wonderful job keeping the book short as well as making sure the person reading understands the characters. She explains the past well for both the characters without it taking chapters. Or going to a full-on scenes to the past.

Though this is series, you do not need to read the whole series to read this book. At the same time, I do think there is an underlying secondary storyline that have stretched from the first book, but since the author is good at explaining everything and mixing it to the book so well, I don’t even know which one it is. So, good job.

I do think it would be great if there was a page at the least dedicated which book to start and what is the recommended order if the reader ever wants to fully understand this world. Because it is a world. The author has created a world within these series. I loved how she had ended this; it showed how big of a world she had created.

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Holy Ghost by John Sandford

April 17, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Holy Ghost by John Sandford
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Pinion, Minnesota: a metropolis of all of 700 souls, for which the word moribund might have been invented. Nothing ever happened there, and nothing ever would – until the mayor of sorts (campaign slogan: “I’ll Do What I Can”) and a buddy come up with a scheme to put Pinion on the map. They’d heard of a place where a floating image of the Virgin Mary had turned the whole town into a shrine, attracting thousands of pilgrims. And all those pilgrims needed food, shelter, all kinds of crazy things, right? They’d all get rich! What could go wrong?

When the dead body shows up, they find out, and that’s only the beginning of their troubles – and Virgil Flowers’ – as they are all about to discover all too soon.

Agent Virgil Flowers is sent to Wheatfield, Minnesota to investigate two shootings. After an apparition of the Virgin Mary appears at the tiny town’s church, pilgrims and other tourists flock to the small township. Though neither shooting is severe, the local police are baffled and the Mayor is determined to have the situation resolve – hopefully with no further harm coming to the many people flocking to the small town. Can Virgin uncover what’s really going on?

I’ve been reading both the Lucas Davenport series and the Virgil Flowers series for many years and I find them both amazingly written. I do admit the Flowers mysteries usually have a keener sense of humour – and often a little bit of absurdity – in them and I was pleased that while both aspects were still thoroughly present, this book isn’t quite as outrageous (or unbelievable) as some of the other Flowers books I’ve read. Readers who have read almost anything previous in either series should have a good idea of what to expect in tone and style of this book. Better still, this book really stands quite well on its own. Readers who are new to John Sandford should be able to easily pick this story up and thoroughly enjoy it.

I enjoyed the plot. As I’ve said this is quite a lighter, more humorous story, but I strongly feel it’s still an excellently written murder mystery. There’s quite a layered plot underneath the “small town gone viral” style of plot and I really enjoyed the strong cast of primary characters. Sandford always does an excellent job of making characters both relatable and interesting.

Readers looking for a high-action or faster paced plot might not find this fits the bill. While there is a good pace to the plot it’s at heart a small town and the characters aren’t magic – so police procedure and ticking the boxes needs to happen. I do feel Sandford makes this journey enjoyable and somewhat hilarious, but this isn’t a high octane adventure thriller. This is absolutely a small town mystery book.

An excellent addition to the Flowers series this book was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended.

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Humdrum by Mitchell Brockman

April 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Humdrum by Mitchell Brockman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Suspense/Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

How long can someone endure the silence? For David, the answer’s not long enough.

In the hum of an office filled with laughter and camaraderie, David Clark exists on the edges unseen, unheard, and trapped in a cycle of quiet isolation. Nights in his empty apartment feel endless, and the world outside his window moves on without him.

When a coworker’s kindness cracks open the walls he’s built, and a sudden tragedy shakes his fragile existence, David is forced to confront the silence he’s lived with for too long. As his carefully guarded life unravels, he must decide: will he take the risk to finally connect, or retreat further into the safety of solitude?

Everyone carries their own burdens, some more quietly than others.

One of the things I liked the most about this book was how thoroughly it explored the emotional pain and loneliness of mental illness, especially for people who don’t have strong support systems to help them cope with their worst days. David was plagued by thoughts and feelings that overwhelmed him with anger, paranoia, grief, and fear. It was difficult for him to describe this cascade of emotions and even harder for those around him to understand why he reacted so negatively to what most people would interpret as friendly banter or, at worst, genuine misunderstandings.

I would have liked to have learned more about David’s past, from his childhood to any family history of mental illness that he might have been aware of. Both genetics and adverse life experiences can trigger the sorts of symptoms he dealt with, and I think it would have been helpful for the audience to have a deeper understanding of who he was as a character and how long he’d been struggling with his dark thoughts and feelings. Was this a recent change in his mental health, for example, or something he’d been dealing with since early childhood?

Let’s see how much I can share about the ending without giving away any spoilers. The shift in tone was surprising, but I appreciated the points it made about what could be learned from David’s experience and how the storyline would be moving forward from that point forward. I could close my eyes and imagine a few different directions things could be headed, all of which matched what I’d previously read and made me wonder if those possibilities were the closest to the author’s assumptions about the future. It’s nice when readers are given this sort of opportunity!

Humdrum was thought provoking.

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Twisted Prey by John Sandford

April 11, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Twisted Prey by John Sandford
Publisher: G.P. Putnum’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Lucas Davenport had crossed paths with her before.

A rich psychopath, Taryn Grant had run successfully for the U.S. Senate, where Lucas had predicted she’d fit right in. He was also convinced that she’d been responsible for three murders, though he’d never been able to prove it. Once a psychopath had gotten that kind of rush, though, he or she often needed another fix, so he figured he might be seeing her again.

He was right. A federal marshal now, with a very wide scope of investigation, he’s heard rumors that Grant has found her seat on the Senate intelligence committee, and the contacts she’s made from it, to be very…useful. Pinning those rumors down was likely to be just as difficult as before, and considerably more dangerous.

But they had unfinished business, he and Grant. One way or the other, he was going to see it through to the end.

When Senator Smalls is violently run off the road and his companion is killed he immediately knows who is behind the so-called “accident”. With virtually no proof to what he witnessed and reported, he makes a phone call to the only person he feels will both believe him and be able to help. Marshall Lucas Davenport. Both Smalls and Davenport have delt with this villain before – Senator Tanya Grant. And this time neither of them will underestimate her intelligence, nor her desire to end up in the White House.

It’s been nearly twenty years that I have been reading John Sandford’s books and yet I still feel a thrill of enjoyment when I read a Lucas Davenport story for the first time. This book was no exception. If you haven’t enjoyed this series before I can give it my highest recommendation. Obviously for such a long running series there is a whole bunch of history between the characters, but mostly that shouldn’t impede a new reader picking up any book and having a thoroughly good read.

That said, this book really does pick up a few leftover threads from a book a few previously (Certain Prey) and from the very beginning of the book the readers are shown who the villains are. To be clear – this is not a who dun it style of murder mystery book. Similar to quite a few other books in this series the focus really is more on both unknotting the complicated plot and hunting down the bad guys and getting them caught/imprisoned. The “who” aspect of it is not really part of the mystery. Don’t be swayed by that though, there is still plenty to uncover and plenty of action while that’s happening.

Readers who like a faster paced mystery should really enjoy both this book and this series. There’s often a few fights, chases and quite a decent clip to the pace of the mystery unraveling. This is quite different to a lot of police procedural style books where it isn’t a slow and steady investigation uncovering each step. Something that I always love in Sandford’s books as well is there’s frequent “laugh out loud” moments where reality or coincidence or just something really hilarious occurs and its not uncommon for me to laugh in the middle of some really important scene. The Davenport books don’t have as much of this as the Virgil Flowers books do – but that sense of humour is still present in these books and I love that.

A fast paced and well woven mystery, I love this series and even after twenty years still will automatically buy the next book when it comes out. This is a brilliant author and series and I can highly recommend this book and his works as a whole.

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No Reserve by Felix Francis

April 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


No Reserve by Felix Francis
Publisher: Zaffre Publishing Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Theo Jennings, an auctioneer in Newmarket, England, has been climbing the ladder at the bloodstock sales company for the past three years. He’s planning on making his first ever multi-million sale with a yearling colt. When he finds the colt dead a few days after the auction, Theo is suspicious that there was foul play involved.

As Theo begins to investigate the death, he finds that answers aren’t coming readily from those who he questions. When a person’s body is discovered in the same stable a few days later, all fingers point to him. As his world turns upside down with the accusations, Theo decides to further his investigation.

The only way to clear Theo’s name is to find the real murderer, but it isn’t just the police who have their eye on him–the killer has a target on his back.

Theo Jennings is a young auctioneer at the Newmarket sales and during the October yearling sales he makes the biggest auction of his life – selling an unnamed, untested horse for three million guineas. Flushed with his success, he then overhears a secret conversation between two bidders, discovering they colluded to fix the price of his enormous sale. Determined to uncover what’s really happening, Theo finds himself sinking into more and more danger.

I really enjoyed this stand alone novel. While some of the Francis books are linked by characters – the majority are thoroughly enjoyable, stand alone, racing themed mysteries and this book falls solidly into that category. I admit I know virtually nothing about horses, racing or anything Newmarket related – and yet somehow, time after time, I really get into and enjoy the Dick Francis/Felix Francis novels. It’s a testament to the excellent writing and well thought out characters that they draw me in over and over.

This book is no different. With some interesting and varied characters, a totally believable situation and plenty of pace to the mystery I found myself easily swept up for the ride and loving every minute of it. Readers who enjoy British mysteries or well plotted novels should definitely find this as good as I did. While the action wasn’t break neck speed I did find the pace moved along very well – a little faster than I usually find British Police Procedural style of novels – and I do love how Theo in particular is very much an ordinary sort of guy. He’s not a police officer or an investigator or anything other than a regular person caught up in something far bigger than himself and determined to do the right thing.

With a good plot and pacing, I feel this should appeal to a wide range of readers. Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for something a little different.

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Gone Crazy by Terry Korth Fischer

April 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Gone Crazy by Terry Korth Fischer
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A formal declaration of love scares the bejesus out of small-town Detective Rory Naysmith. As Valentine’s Day approaches, he evaluates his relationship with bookkeeper Esther Mullins, and decides to take her on a romantic date that ends with a poet’s murder. Assigned to the case, Rory pushes his private life aside. Things gets tricky after Esther is appointed Executrix for the estate—then rumors start that place a priceless item among the poet’s many possessions.

The race is on to unearth the treasure and solve the murder, but it leaves Rory wondering if Esther will live long enough to become his Valentine—or end up as the murderer’s next victim.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day in Rory Naismith’s little town of Winterset, Nebraska, and Detective Naismith is supposed to look into a robbery at the local hardware store. He might be thinking more about what he’s going to get as a gift for his almost serious lady friend, Esther. Winterset has decided to appoint a Poet Laureate and during the reading they attend, one of the poets’ collapses. Esther runs to help her but unfortunately can’t save her. It definitely looks like foul play.

I like this Rory Naismith character so much. I like small-town cop stories, and this one fits the bill. To me this was almost a somewhat sophisticated cozy. There’s an amateur sleuth, a handsome cop, and a small town with delightful characters. Fischer has made all the characters come alive with a homey description of those very much like the real-life ones I grew up with in my small town.

I might have used the word cozy but there is nothing missing from this good mystery with lots of surprises and hidden clues. Gone Crazy is Book 3 of a series titled “Rory Naismith Mysteries”. I have read the previous Rory Naismith books and loved them just as I did this one.

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