Tag: crime

#BookReview Asylum Road (Jake Caldwell 4) by James L Weaver @LakewaterPress

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Asylum RoadAbout the Book

Nearly two years ago, former mafia leg-breaker Jake Caldwell had ruthless drug lord Shane Langston staring down the wrong end of Jake’s pistol. Instead of pulling the trigger like he should have, Jake let the law handle it.

Now Langston’s escaped from a Missouri maximum security prison with a deadly goal – kill the men who put him there. With Langston’s crosshairs focused on Jake and his best friend, Sheriff Bear Parley, the duo must scramble to protect those they love and stop Langston’s bloody quest for vengeance.

As the hunt for Langston intensifies, Jake and Bear stumble upon a hard-nosed gang of bikers with their claws deep in murder, meth, guns and sex trafficking. Teaming up with some new allies to unravel the mystery and nail Langston, Jake finds himself caught up in a game of cat and mouse with some seriously deadly consequences.

This fourth instalment of the award-winning Jake Caldwell series will have you biting your nails to the nubs and praying you never have to make the trip to Asylum Road.

Format: Paperback, ebook (416 pp.)        Publisher: Lakewater Press
Publication date: 1st October 2019         Genre: Crime, Thriller

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Asylum Road (Jake Caldwell #4) on Goodreads

My Review

Regular followers of What Cathy Read Next will know me as a lover of historical fiction and literary fiction and may be surprised at the change of genre. However, I love this series and know I can rely upon it for some heart-pumping, full-on action when a change of pace is needed and your reading mojo is crying out for a gripping pageturner.

Asylum Road is the fourth in James L Weaver’s Jake Caldwell series. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed all the previous books in the series: Poor Boy Road, Ares Road and Blackbird Road. Links from the book titles will take you to my reviews. Although Asylum Road can be read as a standalone, readers looking for a new crime series to follow would do well to start from the beginning.

Asylum Road follows straight on from the dramatic conclusion to the previous book. It has all the elements I’ve loved about the earlier books. In particular, it was a joy to be reunited with Jake and his buddy, Bear. Underneath the wisecracks and leg pulling there’s real respect and affection. They know they can rely on each other completely, not least because they both have the same things they wish to protect. Bear’s mighty appetite remains undiminished. As he tucks into a plate of his favourite eggs and bacon, Bear’s wife Audrey remarks, ‘I didn’t say a word. But your doctor said each piece of bacon you eat takes nine minutes off your life.’ ‘In that case’, responds Bear, ‘I should’ve died in 1782’.

The short chapters contribute to the feeling of pace and defy you not to keep turning the pages. Just one more chapter, then I’ll go to sleep…

In Asylum Road, the bad guys are really bad and involved not just in corruption, extortion, murder and drugs and weapons smuggling but in the heinous sex-trafficking of young women. As the body count grows, the book builds to a breathless climax and Jake faces a showdown he knows he can’t afford to lose because at stake are those most precious to him. Now it’s time ‘to do it his way.’

Although I’m happily married, I’ll admit to being a little bit smitten by man of action, Jake Caldwell, whose tough exterior hides a softer interior. As someone remarks, “Your wife is a lucky woman, Jake Caldwell”.

Asylum Road is another high-octane, gripping read from the pen of James L Weaver. Fellow enthusiasts of the series will be delighted to learn, as I was, that another book – Husker Road – is coming in 2020. What does the future have in store for Jake, I wonder?

I received an advance review copy courtesy of Lakewater Press.

In three words: Compelling, action-packed, gritty

Try something similar: The Mountain Man’s Badge by Gary Corbin (read my review here)

jamesAbout the Author

James L. Weaver is the Kansas City author of the Jake Caldwell series featuring IAN Thriller of the Year finalist Poor Boy Road and the sequel Ares Road from Lakewater Press. He makes his home in Olathe, Kansas with his wife of 19 years and two children. His previous publishing credits include a six part story called “The Nuts” and his 5-star rated debut novel Jack & Diane.

His limited free time is spent writing into the wee hours of the morning, playing parental taxi cab to his kids’ sporting endeavours, and binge watching Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Connect with James

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

#BlogTour #BookReview Dead Flowers by Nicola Monaghan @Verve_Books @nicolanovelist

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I’m thrilled to be closing out the blog tour for crime novel, Dead Flowers by Nicola Monaghan. My thanks to Clare at Verve Books for inviting me to join the tour and for my digital review copy. I hope you’ve been enjoying the extracts, guest posts and reviews by the other book bloggers taking part in the tour.

Dead FlowersAbout the Book

She doesn’t trust the police. She used to be one of them.

Hardened by ten years on the murder squad, DNA analyst Doctor Sian Love has seen it all. So when she finds human remains in the basement of her new home, she knows the drill. Except this time it’s different. This time, it’s personal…

A page-turning cold case investigation, Dead Flowers is an intriguing, multi-layered story perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories and British crime dramas like Line of Duty and Unforgotten. Shortlisted for the UEA Crime Fiction Award 2019.

Praise for Dead Flowers and Nicola Monaghan

  • ‘Monaghan’s convincing characters swing unpredictably between terrifying and tender, and the often violent encounters usually have a bleakly funny edge’ – Independent (London)
  • ‘Monaghan’s novel is direct and deceptively simple. In spite of suffering there are surprising touches of humour and tenderness that bloom like flowers on asphalt ‘- Times
  • ‘A gripping, mile-a-minute British debut. Enthralling’ – Kirkus Reviews
  • ‘Monaghan’s is a powerful, loving, and honest new voice’ – A. L. Kennedy, author of Paradise and So I Am Glad

Format: ebook (271 pp.)                              Publisher: Verve Books
Publication date: 5th September 2019   Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk | Kobo 
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Dead Flowers on Goodreads

My Review

Like the author’s debut novel The Killing Jar, Dead Flowers is set in Nottingham, predominantly in a pub called the Loggerheads. The realistic detail about locations in the city and its environs, and the use of local dialect and figures of speech give the book a real sense of place. Alternating between events in the 1970s and the present day, the discovery of human remains in the cellar of the pub that ex-police officer and DNA expert, Sian Love, has inherited from her uncle, is the starting point for a story of family secrets, betrayal and revenge.

I’ll confess I didn’t immediately fall in love (pardon the pun) with Sian as a character. I found her rather prickly, stubbornly independent and unduly dismissive of others’ abilities, especially her former colleagues. However, I found my opinion changing as the book progressed and the reader learns more about her past. What’s not in doubt is her technical capability as a DNA profiler. (Incidentally, there’s some fascinating and clearly well-researched detail about the process). Ironically, it’s Sian’s knowledge of DNA which leads her to the inescapable truth that not everything she thought she knew about her own personal history can be relied upon.

There are some distinctly unpleasant male characters in the book, both in the past and present timelines. The exceptions are the long-suffering Kris, Sian’s brother Tom and her dog, Elvis. Although, arguably, the latter is responsible for setting in motion a chain of events that will have repercussions for his mistress.

The author creates some tense scenes, including one very spooky episode which you’ll no doubt recognize if you read the book. There are also some quirky touches like the use of song titles as chapter headings for the scenes set in the past. I’m not sure I could work out if they were designed to have any particular relevance to events described but they certainly helped ground the narrative in the period (for those of us old enough to remember it).

Dead Flowers demonstrates the author’s ability to handle a complex plot and dual timeline with assurance. The reader will want to keep their eyes open for clues – or are they just red herrings cleverly intended to wrong foot? There’s plenty to keep the reader guessing right up until the final reveal making Nicola Monaghan an author for crime fiction fans to look out for in future. And just maybe this isn’t the last case Dr. Sian Love will be involved in?

In three words: Gritty, assured, compelling

Try something similar: Dark Sky Island (Jennifer Dorey Mystery #2) by Lara Dearman (read my review here)

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Nicola MonaghanAbout the Author

Nicola Monaghan has lived and worked in London, Paris, Chicago and New York but
returned to her home town of Nottingham in 2002 to pursue a masters in Creative Writing. She graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2004 with a distinction, and went on to write her first novel, The Killing Jar, set on the council estate where she lived as a child. This debut novel was highly critically acclaimed, and won a Betty Trask Award, the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Prize and the Waverton Good Read. She has written several other novels, novellas and a collection of short stories. She also teaches Creative Writing at De Montfort University, and online at YouTube, Udemy and Skillshare

Connect with Nicola
Website | Twitter | Goodreads

DEAD FLOWERS BLOG TOUR- CORRECTED