Tag Archives: murder

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Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler

16691515[1]-001Fast and Frenetic Coming of Age Story for Ages 14+

A Reader’s Review was lucky to be sent two proof copies of this forthcoming release, to provide an honest review. The book is scheduled for publication this coming May. Both Caroline and I have reviewed the book, outlining our different opinions and perspectives on the story for our readers to compare.

Tina’s Review (scroll down for Caroline’s review which follows on from this).

Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler is a fast and frenetic coming of age novel that will appeal to many readers. It centres on a girl band Crush, who wins a competition to go to Los Angeles, with the opportunity to make it big on the music scene.

The book opens with a bang, on the aftermath of a shocking murder. It then rewinds to eight months earlier, to St Gabriel’s Sixth Form, London, where we witness a disparate group of girls come together, at the suggestion of fellow pupil, Harper McKenzie, to form a band. Their aim, in which they are successful, is to win Project Next, a television talent show with the dream prize of going to LA to win the final heat of the competition at the end of the summer and secure their rock and roll future.

It soon becomes clear however, that Harper’s main motivation for creating the band and winning Project Next, is the desire to be reunited with bad boy Rafe Jackson, who lives in LA and whose father Peter is involved in the competition. This creates a fair amount of friction from the start and plays a key role in the development of the plot. The girls face a world of limousines, designer clothes, personal stylists, parties and temptations they have never experienced before. They must also strive to ensure that their ability to make music remains at the forefront of their minds, when struggling with a host of competing issues, including drug addiction, body image, alcohol, sex and the trials of young love. There are also a number of secrets kept by some of the characters, which combine with a series of events which lead to the dire consequences at the conclusion of the book.

Lucy, the drummer in the band, is the central character, although we also get to know the trials, hopes and dreams of her four friends, Harper, the lead singer, Toni, the bass player, Robyn on guitar and Iza on piano. The personalities of the girls vary, but all have their own personal demons to battle with whilst they are on the cusp of adulthood. Lucy, the most grounded of them all, strives to keep the band together and prevent it from self-destructing in the face of the mounting pressures of making it big in Hollywood. The friendship between Lucy and Harper, which has its ups and downs,  is one of the main themes of the plot.

There are a number of supporting characters, such as Rafe, Harper’s love interest, and others, including Jason, the band’s manager, Alexander, the band’s music producer and Tomas, who deals drugs. A romance between one of the secondary characters, Skye and the minor character Cesar pulled at my heartstrings a great deal.

When I picked up this novel I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did, simply because I am not a big fan of celebrity culture and TV talent shows. However, the focus is very much on the characterisations and the evolving plot; the trappings of wealth and celebrity culture serve to bring the issues facing the central characters into sharper focus. Also Bridget Tyler writes in such a way that I was quickly drawn into the world she creates. I developed a great deal of empathy for the young women and the other characters she portrays, in what I found to be an emotional and entertaining read.

The author is a screenwriter and I think this comes across in her writing in a positive way as it swiftly draws you into key scenes which highlight the world the girls find themselves in and the group dynamics at play. Every scene counts and the novel could quite easily be made into a film or TV series. Such is the richness of the tale, there is plenty of scope for the author to pen further novels, based on the characters in Drummer Girl. I do hope that she writes a follow up, if only to expand on a burgeoning romance for Lucy, which is introduced at the conclusion. Whilst I would recommend this novel primarily for teenagers or young adults, I feel that adults too would also enjoy it as it deals with universal issues that affect people of all ages in an exciting and engaging plot that keeps you guessing.

Reviewed by Tina Williams, A Reader’s Review Blog

Review below by Caroline Barker, A Reader’s Review Blog

Teenage girls, music, competitions, friendships, romances, alcohol, drugs and a whole load of other trouble is what ‘Drummer Girl’ is from beginning to end. I can see this being a really popular novel, especially for those between the ages of 14 and 18. It is a coming of age story where the characters want popularity, success and romance. However, they all soon discover that life has its fair share of danger and there are some adult themes covered, such as drugs, alcohol and young girls being taken advantage of.

Lucy, Harper, Toni, Robyn and Iza are Crush. The band enters a contest, Project Next, similar to that as The X Factor, and after winning the semi-finals in London they are given the chance to go to Hollywood for the summer to compete in the final. This alone causes family rifts and after reaching L.A. there is a great deal of pressure for the girls to not only work hard, but to party hard too.

Lucy Gosling, the ‘Drummer Girl’, is a nice character. At the age of 17 she is doing well at school with ambition to go further at Oxford. However, joining Crush and entering Project Next with her school friends is a dream come true. She is a clever, sensible teenager that craves fun and excitement with the hope of fame and success. Her only real problem is her best friend, Harper McKenzie.

Harper is an American girl – the other members of Crush are from London – and she can think very highly of herself and will do almost anything to get what she wants. She is the lead singer of the band. There is some history between Lucy and Harper as Harper and her ex-boyfriend, Rafe, caused a great deal of trouble for Lucy. Trouble that Lucy’s parents could not forgive Harper for. I found Harper to be a very irritating character and I could not warm to her at all.

Lucy begins to get suspicious of Harper’s reasons for forming a band and competing as when they arrive in Hollywood they soon meet up with Rafe and his new girlfriend, Skye. Is Harper still in love with Rafe? Is this the only reason why Harper set up Crush? Will more trouble lie ahead?

The introduction of the story begins with Harper’s body floating in a swimming pool surrounded by her blood. We then go back to the previous eight months that lead up to her death and begin with the band forming and competing in Project Next.

During the beginning chapters of ‘Drummer Girl’ I found the story to be unfolding quite slowly, and with Harper being so annoying I found it difficult to carry on reading. However, I did persevere and once the band reached L.A. I found that the story quickened it’s pace and the reader was introduced to more characters and a darker plot. I then needed to carry on reading to find out what had happened to Harper and to follow the girls’ adventure throughout the Project Next contest.

I have mixed emotions about this novel. On the one hand, if reading this book as a young teenager I think this book is a good read with friendship troubles, romance and the dream of becoming a rock star. You are just beginning to understand the dangers in life and this book is an introduction to some of them.

However on the other hand, from an adults point of view, there are moments when I feel that some issues are too adult for it’s audience but written in an almost nonchalant way. For example, when Harper’s body is dead in the swimming pool, at the beginning of the novel, Lucy is looking at the colour of her blood and thinking that Harper would have liked that colour nail varnish! I thought a teenage girl would freak at the image of her best friend’s body, lying lifeless in front of her. I also feel that more thought has gone into keeping the atmosphere of this book light. If this is the case, then maybe the drugs, alcohol and other adult themes shouldn’t be mentioned.

On the whole, ‘Drummer Girl’ is a good Hollywood Dream story, aimed mostly at teenage girls, with some fun characters and is a light-hearted read with some darker topics woven in. It can be likened to High School Musical, mixed with The X-Factor with the added bonus of real adventure and great ordeals. For fans of the novel, it would definitely be interesting to follow Lucy to the next stage of her life as she is a great role model and character.

Thanks to Templar Publishing for providing A Reader’s Review with Bridget Tyler’s novel, ‘Drummer Girl’ in return for an honest and fair review.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

Cover art by Will Steele

Templar Publishing Website

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The Hourglass Killer Trilogy by LR Potter

The Hourglass Killer Trilogy - All 3 BooksWhat a brilliant and carefully written dark, dark crime thriller? Poor Tess!!! Tess Champion is a police detective in Colarado, and we begin the first novel, ‘Dwindling Sands’, with Tess being subjected to a violent, torturous, sexual attack in her own home. As she returns to work, alongside her partner, Anthony Delgado, they are faced with a murder of a woman with similar scenarios that Tess found herself in. Is she going mad? Is she scared after what happened to her? Is she adding two and two together and coming up with five? However, over time there are more murders, each with a possible link to her ordeal.

Tess, although now feeling vulnerable and weak, is actually one of the strongest heroine’s that I have read about. Mentally, she has been teased and taunted, confused and, after the third book, ‘Cascading Sands’, in that much despair that it is a wonder that she doesn’t end her own pain. However, she keeps on going. She is a fighter deep down and her inner strength helps her to survive.

As Tess’ attacker knew her by name, it is believed throughout that it must be somebody that she knew. There are five main characters to keep you guessing; Anthony Delgado, her partner; Carter, her twin brother (even though unlikely, you can’t rule anyone out!); Thom Wyndom, her new love interest; Dominic Wyndom, Thom’s brother and an acquaintance to Tess, and finally; Dane Carver, the first and only true love from Tess’ past. I kept an open mind as different areas of the story led me to believe that each of these characters were capable and had the opportunity but as the story unfolded there were so many possible scenarios that the reader simply cannot determine the culprit until it is all made clear at the end.

Due to the motivation, the obsession, of the murderer and their perseverance it does feel very personal. Therefore, each event that happens with Tess is very believable and horrific. He, the murderer, is referred to as ‘The Angry Man’ and, in the prologue, he is the first character the reader encounters. We learn of his obsession, his need for control and throughout the book we know how he despises those he deems vulnerable and weak. These can be disposed of, as far as he is concerned, as there is no real need for them.

Initially, I was planning to read ‘Dwindling Sands (Book 1)’ of The Hourglass Killer Trilogy and separate each book with another of my choice in between. However, I was hooked! Each book of this trilogy is carefully interwoven with the next that I just had to simply carry on reading. The stories, settings, characters, etc, are so fluent that it felt like I was reading only one novel. ‘The Hourglass Trilogy’ is absolutely gripping, with so many twists and turns and unexpected turn of events. Just when the reader thinks that there are no more ordeals for Tess – bam! – another hits you right in the face.

There are many adult themes in these novels, such as abduction, rape and murder. Hence the strongly recommended 18+ year age warning. LR Potter’s style of writing these horrific scenes is amazing. The reader feels so tense in parts and there are some scenes that are creepy and yet the writing of these scenes is not over-exaggerated. LR Potter displays her sensitivity towards these scenes when she describes Tess at her worst, after each ordeal. It would be so nice just to pick Tess up from the book and pop her in your pocket to keep her safe! She is in trouble, without even realising it at times, and, working for the police department, she feels like she should be able to protect herself. It is so upsetting, knowing that she is vulnerable and a possible target/link to this monster.

I am disappointed to let Tess go – although to be fair she has been through enough. However, the whole setting and characters of these books make me want to read more about her. If you are interested in crime thrillers this is a must-read. If you would like to try a crime thriller for the first time, ‘The Hourglass Killer Trilogy’ will blow you away, at the same time as keeping you on your toes. After this absolutely brilliant introduction to LR Potter’s work , I am definitely looking forward to reading more of her novels.

‘The Hourglass Killer Trilogy’ was sent to me for the purpose of a honest and just review. Received gratefully, with thanks, from the copyeditor, Carolyn Pinard.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Vampire Seeker (Samantha Carter, Book One) by Tim O’Rourke

I thought Tim O’Rourke had me with the Keira Hudson series. I thought the same again when I read ‘Moonlight’, from his Moon Trilogy, and then in his latest series, Sydney Hart, in the novel ‘Witch’. ‘Vampire Seeker’ is no exception to the rule. It’s wacky, adventurous, action-packed, fun and gory. From a vampire seeker in London, 2012, to a cowgirl in the Wild West in 1888, Samantha Carter is a brilliant heroine.

‘Vampire Seeker’ begins with Samantha following a Jack the Ripper copy-cat killer in London 2012. Samantha believes that the killer is a vampire and, as she has had an obsession in trying to prove their very existence, when she hears of the latest murder via a police scanner she exploits the situation by tracking him down. This is a very brave and courageous move, and even though risky, Sammy is on a mission for what she believes in. She is studying criminology but reading about, researching and studying vampires is her thing. She cannot let this moment pass. She is so close to the truth.

With the police on her tail, as she is seen near the crime scene, she follows the stranger she believes is a vampire and murderer as quickly and quietly as she can. She ends up at a Tube station and boarding a train she sees the stranger take. With only moments before the police reach her she pushes her way through the carriages to find her ‘vampire’. Throughout the following pages words are exchanged and then there is a bright light….

….when she wakes, Sammy is in the Wild West in 1888. She is dressed in denim and can handle a gun or two very well. She is in a tricky situation as soon as she wakes, with a gang of men lying around her that she has supposedly killed and another man behaving in a threatening manner towards her who has disarmed her and ready to take advantage. It is at this point that Samantha meets the Preacher, Louise, Zoe and Harry, a group of possible outlaws that treat Samantha as if she were one of their own.

To elaborate any further would completely spoil the story, however Samantha needs to work out how she arrived in the Wild West in 1888, why she woke up there and how she can get back to London, 2012. Is it connected to the murders taking place, or the possible vampire she had followed? Or is it all a dream?

Sammy’s character is very strong. She is a decisive gal with ambition and courage. She handles herself well in most situations and stands up to the other characters in the novel. Although she isn’t easily pushed around or deceived easily she still retains her femininity and sexiness. Samantha is wise and is able to pick up skills very quickly, despite having to get used to a new way of life.

Throughout ‘Vampire Seeker’ there are many action scenes that are quick-paced, violent, gory and sickening. This all adds to the thrill and excitement and the pace of the novel. Tim’s writing is so clear to the reader that although you are using your own imagination, the details of these action sequences are still vivid and clear from the writing. Every movement made can be imagined easily, allowing the reader to live in the moment themselves.

With Tim’s books that I have read thus far I have felt alive when reading them, as if beside the characters, like I am there with them. With ‘Vampire Seeker’ I felt most of this, however I not only wanted to be there with Samantha but I wanted to be Samantha Carter. I wanted to know how it would feel to shoot pistols and ride a horse in denims, belonging to a group of possible outlaws. Would I want to stay in the Wild West, 1888, or return to London in 2012?

‘Vampire Seeker’ not only makes for such a great read, but it captivates the imagination so much that you can see it, you can feel it. I was taken on a roller-coaster ride of fantasy every few pages where one minute it is like the TV series ‘Life on Mars’, the next ‘Back to the Future Part III’. The only difference being that here we have a female lead character. I have been watching a few westerns on TV recently, such as ‘Deadwood’ and ‘Hell on Wheels’, and reading Vampire Seeker simply tied in with this theme with the added bonus of the faster, more adventurous pace, along with the paranormal direction. There are also so many twists and turns that one direction that the novel took made me think of the movie ‘From Dusk ’til Dawn’ but I will not elaborate too much here, other than to say that a relationship between certain characters have similar circumstances.

The Preacher character is almost like a father-figure type character in my mind. He is out on a mission himself with his fellow riders and he is a leader. Samantha is helped by the Preacher and although he, Zoe and Louise have been friendly and accepting of Samantha, taking her in as one of their own, Sammy has her doubts about the group as the story unfolds and questions the Faith of the Preacher.

And then there is Harry, Harry Turner. I can definitely see why this novel is for new/young adults, 17 yrs plus, as the sexual tension is very hot and intense. If you are looking for a romance theme, or at least the hope of one with a strong and silent type cowboy you will not be disappointed. He is like Clint Eastwood in ‘High Plains Drifter’, which funnily enough has an almost paranormal feel but not in quite the same way that ‘Vampire Seeker’ has. Aside from Samantha, Harry is my favourite character that I cannot live without. I am just dying to know just how bad he is. I can honestly say that if the action and gore don’t get the blood pumping, Harry certainly will!

I need to read the sequel right now. I cannot wait for the release date!

‘Vampire Seeker (Samantha Carter, Book One)’ was received gratefully from the author in return for an honest and fair review.

Other series’ to try are Keira Hudson, Black Hill Farm, The Moon Trilogy and Doorways. You can find all information on Tim’s website.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Blood, She Read by Sara Hubbard

BloodSheRead_SHubbard_133-200Murder, Magic and First Love

Blood, She Read is the debut novel of author Sara Hubbard. It is a character driven tale of friendship and first love, which involves murder, magic, deceit, jealousy and betrayal.

In the novel, Petra Maras is a witch from a long line of witches. She and her mother are on the run from her father who is a criminal. They have just moved into her mother’s childhood home in the town of Paradise, Nova Scotia. In addition to being a witch, Petra is also a psychic and can read people, seeing into their past and future. She reluctantly agrees to help the police with their investigation into the murder of a local girl, Josie, by attempting to use her gift to read an object stained with the victim’s blood.

Although she hasn’t identified any individual in her reading, suspicion falls on Finn, one of the boys at school. This does not go down well with Finn’s brother Tommy, who is openly hostile towards her. At the same time Dylan, who was close to Josie, befriends Petra. Finn, however, is drawn to Petra and asks her out. At first Petra resists, as she knows that Finn is a murder suspect, and also because Dylan does not approve of him. However, they do date but Petra cannot read Finn and she cannot be sure if he is as innocent as he seems. Also Petra realises that Finn is hiding secrets from her and begins to question his motives and whether he is the murderer after all.

The tale begins to hot up and contains scenes of attempted blackmail, theft and violence against Petra. These scenes are peppered with magic potions and spells cast by Petra and Gina, which do not always work according to plan! There is also a secondary romance involving Gina. After a number of surprising plot twists, which I did not see coming, the tale resolves in a satisfying HEA.

Petra has experienced a lot of unpleasantness in her life. This has left her strong, as she is used to dealing with adversity, but also vulnerable, as she finds it hard to trust. She is ashamed of her powerful magic and aches to be normal, but is shunned by her classmates, who know that she is from a family of witches. Petra is overjoyed when Dylan becomes her friend and begins to trust him and share her past. She cannot believe it when Finn, the school hunk claims that he is attracted to her. She fears that he has an ulterior motive or it is only because, as a murder suspect, he is being shunned by others and has no one else to turn to.

The characters of the three young men in the book play a big role in Petra’s life and in the development of the plot. Dylan, who befriends Petra, is a misfit. He was close friends with Josie and wants to find her murderer, suspecting Finn. Finn is an attractive and enigmatic figure and it is easy to see how Petra is drawn to him. He seems genuinely attracted to her but is harbouring secrets. Tommy, Finn’s brother, is aggressive towards her and the reader is left to wonder whether he is protecting Finn, has something to hide or if he is the murderer. I found myself chuckling at the teenage relationships in this book as it not only made me remember the positive feelings of first love, but also how uncomfortable they can make you feel!

Gina, Petra’s mother is volatile. Petra and Gina do not have a typical mother/daughter relationship and often Petra acts more like the adult than Gina does. Gina’s romance in the novel is, in typical Gina style, unconventional! The way the relationship between Petra and Gina develops is one of the central themes to the book and I ended up liking Gina a lot more at the end. Other characters include Henry the police officer, who plays a key role throughout the book and Sebastian, a demon, who, bound in service to Petra’s father, makes a brief but noteworthy appearance.

Overall I found the novel to be an engaging read with funny and romantic moments with a lot of suspense. Although the end was satisfying, it also left scope for the author to develop future novels. I would like to find out what happens to some of the other characters, especially Tommy and Sebastian, as well as future adventures of Petra and Finn. I would recommend this book for young adults or adults who like sweet paranormal romance with a strong plot and characterisations, containing humour and a HEA.

This novel was given to me by the author for the purpose of an honest review.

Author’s website    http://www.sara-hubbard.com

Publisher’s website  http://www.etopia-press.net

Cover art by kind permission of Eithne Ni Anluaine

 

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What I am reading now – Blood, She Read by Sara Hubbard

BloodSheRead_SHubbard_133-200I am currently reading Blood, She Read by Sara Hubbard, her debut novel, which I will be posting a review of in a few days time. In it, Petra Maras is a witch from a long lone of witches. She is on the run from her father who is a criminal and she lives with her mother, Gina.

Petra aches to be normal, but this is pretty hard when she can’t always control her powerful magic. She is also a psychic and can read objects and people. She reluctantly agrees to help the police in her new town with a murder investigation. However, things get complicated as the chief suspect, to whom she is attracted, wants to date her! Unfortunately Petra cannot read him and she can’t be sure if he is as innocent as he seems…………………….

So far I am finding it an engaging read, with some funny and romantic moments, with a lot of suspense. A full review to come soon.

This novel was given to me by the author for the purpose of an honest review.

Author’s website    http://www.sara-hubbard.com

Publisher’s website  http://www.etopia-press.net

Cover art by kind permission of Eithne Ni Anluaine

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Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands

15846345[2]-001An Argeneau Vampire Novel

If you like a heavy dose of humour with your vampires, yet still want heaps of romance, you may want to try Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau Vampire series, which documents the lives and loves of a family of vampires. Born to Bite is book 13 in the series. It can also be read as a stand alone. The Argeneau novels are set in the modern age and have a completely different take on vampires than what we are used to. In Lynsay Sands’ vampire mythology vampires are immortals who hail from the island of Atlantis. Scientists there developed nano technology to the extent that it healed bodies, making the inhabitants immortal. The only drawback being that for the nanos to work they had to live on blood. Thus the vampire myth was born!

In the past, although the immortals were compelled to take blood from humans ‘on the hoof’, today they mainly take it in the form of refrigerated blood bags. They tend to hide their existence from humans, unless they feel that they can be trusted and will not try and stake them or go into panic mode! As with many other vampire mythologies, they can read (most) minds and can wipe memories with the exception of older vampires, whose minds can be harder to read and those who are destined to be their life mate. In the previous books that I have read in the series the romantic pairings at the core of each have been vampire and human.

In Born to Bite, Eshe d’Aureus, an Enforcer, employed by Lucien Argeneau, is sent on an undercover mission to investigate Lucien’s brother Armand. Lucien tells Armand that Eshe needs to lie low for a few weeks as she is being hunted by an enemy. However, she is really investigating the deaths of Armand’s life mate Susanna and his subsequent wives, Althea and Rosamund, and his daughter-in-law Annie. Linked to the investigation is also the fate of Nicholas, Armand’s son, who unbeknown to Armand has been imprisoned by Lucien, suspected of killing a human.

Both Armand and Eshe are immortals and almost as soon as they clap eyes on each other they realise that they cannot read each others’ minds and that they are life mates! Now with these vampires when this happens things become very interesting. It means that they are wildly attracted to and cannot keep their hands off each other. They also start to regain their appetite for food, which wanes if they are without a life mate. These factors make for a number of hilarious scenes. Lucien, rightly concerned that Eshe will find it hard to concentrate on the investigation due to her preoccupation with earthly pursuits, sends a co-enforcer, Bricker, to assist her and keep her mind on the job. As she has been without a life mate for hundreds of years, Eshe is keen to prove that Armand and Nicholas are innocent. The team investigates not just Armand’s alibis, but those of other immortals who were around at the time of the deaths. However, it soon becomes clear that the killer or a killer is very much at large as both Armand and Eshe’s lives are threatened. The remaining investigation includes a great many plot twists, punctuated by passionate trysts between Eshe and Armand, as the team strives to discover who the murderer is before he or she gets to them first!

Armand’s character is sweet and sexy. Suspecting foul play, he has kept himself apart from his offspring for years to protect them. He makes a half-hearted attempt to resist succumbing to Eshe’s charms, to protect her too, but soon wants to keep her, his new life mate, close to protect her. Eshe is a motorbike riding Amazon, who in contrast with Armand, has a larger than life personality. She is very happy to embrace her new life mate from the outset, and is enjoying getting to grips with both sex and eating again.

There are a host of secondary characters, including Bricker, the co-enforcer, the rude and sarcastic Lucien, whom we have met in previous novels and is now himself mated, and other characters linked to Armand, who may have a bearing on the fate of his wives.

Lynsay Sands’ writing style is full of gentle humour, punctuated by comic and sweet sex scenes. However, the tale also has elements of romantic suspense, as the investigation seeks to reveal who committed the past murders and also who wants to kill Armand and Eshe.

I recommend this book to lovers of paranormal vampire romance who maybe want a break from the usual vampire fare of brooding/tortured hero and instead want to read a humorous romantic but suspenseful tale, with loveable characters.

Cover design by Patrick Knowles

Author’s website         www.lynsaysands.net

Publisher website        www.gollancz.co.uk   www.orionbook.co.uk

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A Presence in Russell County (The Organization #1) by SJ Sprague

16150880[1]After reading many paranormal novels, I decided to take a break and read another of my favourite genres. ‘A Presence in Russell County’ is a crime thriller that is generally a full and interesting novel that is easy to read and has a nice collection of characters. As I wasn’t sure what to read I chose this book for the title and because the description of the story sounded like it was just right up my street. I love crime thrillers and this appealed to me as after watching programmes such as ‘The Shield’ and ‘The Unit’ this book combines the two for me. It’s almost like sending in the ‘The Unit’ guys to crack down on the Strike Team from ‘The Shield’, with an extra twist of the Organization.

The police are corrupt. Stealing, drug running and murder are only some of their crimes. And after being harrassed by one of them in particular, Samantha Biggers opens up to a man that she has only knew online but for a couple of years. He happens to be ex-military and when times become more intense for Sam she leans on him for support. As he realises the extent of the corruption surrounding the police in Russell County with the help of the Organization, of which he is part of, they begin to obtain as much evidence as they can against the police.

The Organization is generally unheard of by the public, however if in any way corruption is brought to their attention they seek out the culprits and with evidence, are able to carry out a proper trial in which the defendant could be found guilty and detained very quickly. Without the evidence there is little they can do and if the defendant is found innocent they are free to go. It works almost identical to the system already in place, however it is quick. Within days a defendant could be imprisoned if found guilty. The people that make up The Organization are from all walks of life, however they appear to mostly be retired military.

An interesting character of the book is a journalist, Cap Finch. He becomes involved early on when a policeman is shot and he arrives at the hospital ready to make notes for a story. However, whilst there he begins to find reactions a little strange. There are hardly any police there, the ones that are present are walking down the corridor laughing and joking amongst themselves, not acting in the least bit bothered that one of their fellow officers has been shot and could probably die at any moment. The officers’ wife is sitting alone, waiting for doctors to let her know how her husband is doing – there is no one comforting her. This is unbelievable to Cap Finch.

As the story unfolds Cap Finch finds other odd actions of the police, however his editor has told him he cannot publish these stories. He knows deep down that something isn’t right and as he comes across other stories and people that have been affected he almost falls into the lap of the Organization. Towards the end of the book we are left wondering whether he will go on to work for them and whether he will write a novel based on what he has been a part of. The idea passed through my mind whether this was the case in SJ Sprague. Has the author came across information in which they could not act upon and therefore used it loosely for the novel? Is Cap Finch another side of SJ Sprague?

The whole novel was quite exciting. When it comes to Sam’s lovelife however, I was a little confused towards the end. After becoming a widow she had been online with John Hollingsworth and over two years she had a very close on-line relationship. This seemed to grow naturally and when meeting him in person and becoming more intimate with him I thought that it was happily ever after for them. However, the last few chapters see her engage a little more with Crogan, John’s closest friend. I’m not quite sure what the reader is to make of this.

Also, during the last few chapters I felt that the story was a little rushed. The trial seemed to end abruptly. I was reading intensely and then the following chapter moved on completely and I wondered whether I’d missed something out. I was a little disappointed about this. However, the story and characters in general were really good. If it wasn’t for the ending I would have given this book five stars. I will be reading the following novels and I am hoping the series goes from strength to strength.

I apologise now for a scatty review. This novel is one I would have loved to have read in one go. However, other priorities came up and therefore I read this book very sporadically. I am hoping to read the sequels much more quickly than this. I cannot wait to read ‘Mulberry: The Organization Book 2’. If you would like to contact SJ Sprague you can e-mail the author at sjsprague01@gmail.com.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker