All through the Night/ M.P. Wright.

All Through The Night

(Detective J.T. Ellington #2)

by

M.P. Wright

Heartman’s J T Ellington returns…

“It’s quite simple Mr Ellington. When you find Fowler, just ask where we can find the truth.”

With these words, private detective JT Ellington embarks on a seemingly simple case of tracking down a local GP with a dubious reputation and retrieving a set of stolen documents from him.

For Ellington, however, things are rarely straightforward. Dr Fowler is hiding a terrible secret and when he is gunned down outside a Bristol pub, his dying words send JT in pursuit of a truth more disturbing and deadly than he could possibly have imagined.

M.P. Wright’s debut novel Heartman was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger.

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My thoughts:

This was a cracking read! This was the second adventure I have read of J.T.Ellington escapades. The second book in the series . A series I seem to be reading back to front. Having read the third first. The two books I have read can be read as a stand- alone but you miss a certain amount of backstory, but this can be gleaned from the story-line. The writing and characterisation of the book are of a superb quality. Drawing in the reader and making them turn pages eager to know what is going to happen next. The main character of J.T. is a larger than life persona, but not the sole driver of this vehicle. A story in which all characters are well rounded and superbly fleshed out. The story centres around J.T. being asked to recover a number of death certificates which are the possession of a GP with a dubious reputation. His dying words leave J.T. searching for the Truth. But what is the Truth? To find out you will have read this novel to find out. What makes this novel stand out for me is superb quality writing and the fact it is set in the sixties. An era of no mobile phones, internet and other technology. The main character having to find a payphone to pass on a message. Also the usage of brand names of the time, such as, Old Spice Aftershave, Corrona soft drink and Comer van. This brought the story to life and was so refreshing for the reader in an age when even crime novels are laden with technology. Another thing that tickled me was J.T. saying he was an enquiry agent and not a private detective. The capture of the personae and the times was brilliant A four star read for me and I urge you to give it a go. The Author: Mark Wright was born in Leicestershire in 1965. He was employed in various roles within the music industry before working as a private investigator. He retrained in 1989 and spent the next twenty years in the mental health and probation services in the UK, specialising in risk assessment. A self-confessed aficionado of film, music and real ale, and father of two beautiful daughters, Mark lives with his wife and their two Rottweiler dogs, Tiff and Dylan

 

James Patterson. Women’s Murder Club

 Read

14th Deadly Sin: (Women’s Murder Club #14)

by

James Patterson

Detective Lindsay Boxer and her three best friends are back and recovering from the events that pushed them all to the edge. After her near-death experience, Yuki is seeing her life from a new perspective and is considering a change in her law career. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Cindy has healed from her gunshot wound and has published a book on the infamous serial killers she helped to bring down. Lindsay is just happy that the gang are all still in one piece.

But a new terror is sweeping the streets of San Francisco. A gang dressed as cops are ransacking the city, and leaving a string of dead bodies in their wake. Lindsay is on the case to track them down and needs to discover whether these killers could actually be police officers. Maybe even cops she already knows… (less)

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My Thoughts:

Literature it isn’t. A quick easy read it is, Think cinema on the page and you’ve got the idea. The fourteenth instalment in the Women’s Murder Club. A fast paced story. Short crisp chapters, always time for one more. An ideal beach read or commute book. Pick up and put down as circumstances dictate. I enjoyed it and I think you will to. A good 3 stars from me The Author James Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. As of January 2016, he has sold over 375 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, he also writes children’s, middle-grade, and young-adult fiction and is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children’s bestseller lists. The son of an insurance salesman and a schoolteacher, Patterson grew up in Newburgh, New York, and began casually writing at the age of nineteen. In 1969, he graduated from Manhattan College. He was given a full ride to Vanderbilt University’s graduate program in English but dropped out after a year, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to continue reading and writing for pleasure if he became a college professor. Instead, he moved to New York to become a junior copywriter for the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, eventually becoming CEO of its North American company. In 1976, while still working for J. Walter Thompson, Patterson published his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, with Little, Brown and Company. After being turned down by thirty-one publishers, it won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Patterson’s 1993 novel, Along Came a Spider, his first book to feature Alex Cross, was also his first New York Times bestseller in fiction. In 2001, Morgan Freeman starred as Alex Cross in a film adaptation of Along Came a Spider, and Tyler Perry also played the character in the 2012 film Alex Cross. A film adaptation of Patterson’s middle-grade novel Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life was released in theaters in October 2016. For his initiatives to help kids become passionate readers and for his philanthropic efforts, Patterson was awarded the National Book Foundation’s 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. James Patterson has donated more than one million books to students, focusing on some of the most under-resourced schools and youth programs in the country. In 2015, He donated $1.75 million to public school libraries throughout the United States, $1 million to independent bookstores, and an additional $250,000 in holiday bonuses to individual bookstore employees. He also gave $1 million to independent bookstores in 2014. Patterson has recently donated over $26 million to his and his wife’s alma maters—the University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt University, and Manhattan College—and he has established over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities throughout the country. Patterson has also donated over 650,000 books to U.S. soldiers at home and overseas. In May 2015, Patterson launched a new children’s book imprint at Little, Brown—JIMMY Patterson—that is unwaveringly focused on one goal: turning kids into lifelong readers. This imprint also provides resources, strategies, and programs to serve teachers, parents, librarians, and booksellers. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives. Patterson also founded ReadKiddoRead.com, a website designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians ignite a new generation’s excitement for reading.

 

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources

The Benevolent Dictator

Ben longs to be prime minister one day. But with no political connections, he is about to crash out of a Masters degree with no future ahead. So when by chance he becomes fast friends with a young Arab prince, and is offered a job in his government, he jumps at the chance to get on the political ladder.

Amal dreads the throne. And with Ben’s help he wants to reform his country, steering it onto a path towards democracy. But with the king’s health failing, revolutionaries in the streets, and terrorism threatening everyone, the country is ready to tear itself apart.

Alone in a hostile land, Ben must help Amal weigh what is best against what is right, making decisions that will risk his country, his family, and his life.

Purchase Links

https://tomtrott.com/tbd

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Benevolent-Dictator-Tom-Trott-ebook/dp/B07BZQHTDB

My thoughts:

A story of two men.

Ben who wishes to be Prime Minister but is naive in matters concerning world politics.

Amal who is born into wealth and power; but has no wish to exercise it.

Both men are what is loosely termed idealists. A chance meeting at university brings them into each others orbits. Just when they are getting to know each other Amal must return home and Ben is invited to enter his world. A shady world of intrigue , politics and personal ambition.

It is a dictatorship; but is it a dictatorship of the King’s making or one shaped by the mandarins who pull the strings behind his back. Circumstances dictate that Amal must become King and Ben hopes to mould him into the Benevolent Dictator.

This fast moving novella grips the reader and plunges them into a murky world, where men jockey for position and the King’s ear. It is also a clash of cultures and both men quickly realise what may fit in the western world or mindset, has no place in the Arab domain. It is also an exercise in how ideals are held cheaply when you are threatened with torture or even death. A case of one man’s meat is another’s  poison. A short novella that packs a punch and food for thought in it’s pages.

An excellent quick read that you will enjoy.

Author Bio – Tom Trott was born in Brighton. He first started writing at Junior School, where he and a group of friends devised and performed comedy plays for school assemblies, much to the amusement of their fellow pupils. Since leaving school and growing up to be a big boy, he has written a short comedy play that was performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton in May 2014 as part of the Brighton Festival; he has written Daye’s Work, a television pilot for the local Brighton channel, and he has won the Empire Award (thriller category) in the 2015 New York Screenplay Contest. He is the proverbial Brighton rock, and currently lives in the city with his wife.

Social Media Links – www.twitter.com/tjtrott, www.facebook.com/tomtrottbooks, www.tomtrott.com,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Rachel’s RandomResources

The Gathering

The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved. In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1980613788/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1980613788/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39279875-the-gathering

 

 

Author Bio

With an impressive list of credentials earned over the course of two decades, Bernadette R. Giacomazzo is a multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the word: an editor, writer, photographer, publicist, and digital marketing specialist who has demonstrated an uncanny ability to thrive in each industry with equal aplomb. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many, many more. She served as the news editor of Go! NYC Magazine for nearly a decade, the executive editor of LatinTRENDS Magazine for five years, the eye candy editor of XXL Magazine for two years, and the editor-at-large at iOne/Zona de Sabor for two years. As a publicist, she has worked with the likes of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit record label, rapper Kool G. Rap, and various photographers, artists, and models. As a digital marketing specialist, Bernadette is Google Adwords certified, has an advanced knowledge of SEO, PPC, link-building, and other digital marketing techniques, and has worked for a variety of clients in the legal, medical, and real estate industries.

Based in New York City, Bernadette is the co-author of Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (for the 21st Century), and the author of the forthcoming dystopian fiction series, The Uprising. She also contributed a story to the upcoming Beyonce Knowles tribute anthology, The King Bey Bible, which will be available in bookstores nationwide in the summer of 2018.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/bernadettergiacomazzo

https://www.instagram.com/bg_takes_pics/

https://twitter.com/bg_writes_stuff

My thoughts and Review:

This was a departure for me. Out of my comfort zone.

But I was pleasantly surprised. Never having read a Dystopian novel before.

This is the first in a trilogy. Set in a future New York. A New York that is ruled by The Emperor. A vainglorious despot, who rules with the help of his private army known as The Cabal. The have a weapon called PSI which turns their opposition into compliant zombies.

It is the story of Jamie who is a defector from the Cabal and the erstwhile leader of the Uprising. An Uprising dedicated to unseating The Emperor.

I found this book a great read. The author pulls no punches and drags the reader along with her. Obviously this book Introduces the reader to all the main characters and sets the stage for the rest of the trilogy.

A great book for the lovers of Fantasy/ Dystopian novels. You will be dragged on the adventure and will turn the pages furiously. Gripping and gritty. A great start to a new series. One that I look forward to reading future instalments

A book that I urge you to get hold of. You will enjoy. 5 stars from me.

Giveaway – Win a paperback copy of The Gathering (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Winner will be asked if they prefer a paperback or a digital copy.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Roger Bray.

Blood Ribbon

When there’s more than secrets buried, where do you start digging?

When Brooke Adams is found battered, bleeding, and barely conscious, the police are at a loss as to who her attacker is or why she was targeted.

Then, PI Rod Morgan turns up convinced that Brooke’s attack is the latest in a string of unsolved disappearances dating back twenty-five years.

The police, however, aren’t convinced, so Brooke and Rod must investigate the cases themselves.

As secrets from the past start unravelling, will they find Brooke’s attacker before he strikes again, or is that one secret that will stay buried forever?

Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Ribbon-theres-secrets-digging-ebook/dp/B07F9CC32X/

My thoughts:

This is the second book written by Roger that I’ve read.

The first being The Picture. So alike and so dissimilar

Alike in that the quality of the writing in both books is top notch, but dissimilar in the fact that both stories are completely different.

This book is much darker in story line. At the onset of the book you are put into the mindset of a disturbed serial killer. Also we are introduced to Brooke who leaving behind her a succession of foster homes and is embarking on a new life.

Told across several time frames and from various points of view, including the killer’s and Brooke’s.

There are several other characters in the book. All are essential to the story-line and are well rounded and fully fleshed.

As I said earlier the quality of the writing  is of a superb quality, not an unnecessary  or wasted word. It draws the reader in and has them turning the pages furiously towards the satisfying conclusion of the novel.

I would urge you to buy a copy on publication day, I am sure you will not be disappointed. Well done Roger 5 stars from me!

About Roger Bray

–  I have always loved writing; putting words onto a page and bringing characters to life. I can almost feel myself becoming immersed into their lives, living with their fears and triumphs. Thus, my writing process becomes an endless series of questions. What would she or he do, how would they react, is this in keeping with their character? Strange as it sounds, I don’t like leaving characters in cliffhanging situations without giving them an ending, whichever way it develops.
My life to date is what compels me to seek a just outcome, the good will overcome and the bad will be punished. More though, I tend to see my characters as everyday people in extraordinary circumstances, but in which we may all find our selves if the planets align wrongly or for whatever reason you might consider.

Of course, most novels are autobiographical in some way. You must draw on your own experiences of life and from events you have experienced to get the inspiration. My life has been an endless adventure. Serving in the Navy, fighting in wars, serving as a Police officer and the experiences each one of those have brought have all drawn me to this point, but it was a downside to my police service that was the catalyst for my writing.

Medically retired after being seriously injured while protecting a woman in a domestic violence situation I then experienced the other side of life. Depression and rejection. Giving truth to the oft said saying that when one door closes another opens I pulled myself up and enrolled in college gaining bachelor and master degrees, for my own development rather than any professional need. The process of learning, of getting words down onto the page again relit my passion for writing in a way that I hadn’t felt since high school.

So here we are, two books published and another on track.

Where it will take me I have no idea but I am going to enjoy getting there and if my writing can bring some small pleasure into people’s lives along the way, then I consider that I will have succeeded in life.