The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Description from Amazon:

Who’s got time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan?

 

It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal.

But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. And when Nick disappears without a trace, his cagey business partner becomes the gang’s next stop. It seems the duo have something valuable—something worth killing for.

Joyce’s daughter, Joanna, jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers: Has someone kidnapped Nick? And what’s this uncrackable code they keep hearing about? Plunged back into action once more, can the four friends solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

 

I read the previous four a while back but didn’t do reviews on them – naughty me. And then I found this in the library! Two more Craven books and then I must go back to indie publishing as those are where the reviews are needed!

Honestly, these books just let you turn your brain off and enjoy a rollicking good read. I did watch the movie about the first book too and thought it was relatively close to the book. Bogdan was way off though and Pierce Brosnan as Ron? Nope. I’ve seen Mobland but he still can’t pull off what Ron was. Actually, neither can Tom Ellis as Jason – sorry, guys!

However, when Ron gets asked who his favourite James Bond is and he says Pierce Brosnan, I will say I had a good giggle.

Two gripes about the book: I felt a bit let down by the explanation behind the Bitcoin code and what happened to it. It fitted the book but I guess I was looking for something else. And the other was the focus on Joanna but leaving Suzi without a bigger voice. I completely understand it was about Nick and Holly and the fortune in the bunker and it’s a comedy mystery, but when Suzi disappeared because of Danny’s domestic violence and the threat against her, it would have been good to see something from her POV.

But getting to know Kendrick, Suzi’s son, was a blast. What an entertaining nine-year-old! Far too smart for his own good, but a kid with good prospects.

I liked how Osman continued the story with Elizabeth still trying to get over Stephen dying, how Joyce just want to be involved with everything and is keen to be more in Joanna’s life, how Ibrahim is just the solid rock for everyone (and him trying to help Connie mentor someone was so funny), and Ron learning that even he is getting old but can still protect his family but in his own way.

The writing just makes you keep wanting to turn just one more page and it’s like a warm hug when the last page is done. Next book, please!

The Curator by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

Nothing says Christmas like severed fingers

 

It’s December and a serial killer is leaving body parts all over Cumbria.

Called in to investigate, the National Crime Agency’s Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are faced with a case that makes no sense. Why were the victims killed in such different ways? Why is their only suspect denying what they can irrefutably prove but admitting to things they weren’t even aware of? And what could the cryptic message left at each scene - #BSC6 - possibly mean?

When a disgraced FBI agent gets in touch things take an even darker turn. Because she doesn’t think Poe is dealing with a serial killer at all; she thinks he’s dealing with someone far, far worse - a man who calls himself the Curator.

And if you think you know what’s happening, you’re exactly where he wants you to be...

 

Two things: yes, I’m still on the Craven train and have two more waiting to be read on my side table, and the second thing... what is going on with all these generic AI reviews at the moment? I’m seeing so many reviews about books I’ve read where nothing specific is actually said about the plot and things that should be mentioned are not. Or something like nail-biting suspense when it’s a romance. Or the favourite start: this book offers... it’s compelling... add layers of depth... and other such nonsense. You can tell it’s fancy but says nothing. Okay... rant over.

So... the curator. Bit of a nasty person this one. Again my gripe about this book is that you wouldn’t have figured it out as a reader, as Poe is privy to a secret conversation and things are added that are not clues for us. But it’s still a really good book. And the fact that it has a real-life connection is actually quite scary.

Once again we have Poe, Tilly, and a heavily pregnant Stephanie investigating a case of severed fingers and the clue of #BSC6. But it seems the person behind this may not have the motive they all assume. When a discredited former FBI agent tries to warn Poe, they realise that there is a possibility that someone is being hired to punish enemies. But the way it’s being done is bizarre as it seems to go in stages of violence. Cue a tiered worldwide challenge that goes from so-called harmless pranks to full-on murder where collateral damage is the norm.

This is definitely one where the ending is not expected, and Tilly, yet again, is genius with her deductions (she doesn’t play as big a role in this one but her offering about the car is a doozy). The element that Poe might either lose his house or have to spend money to restore it to a historical setting is also looming, so there are plenty of side plots to the story.

Another fabulous offering from the author and I am thoroughly enjoying Poe and Tilly’s ride.

Black Summer by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He’s currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.

So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.

Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?

And then Elizabeth goes missing again - and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.

 

Okay, you’ll have to indulge me with this author. After all, I have only just discovered him, and since the first book was so good, I have to read as many as I can get my hands on!

The book opens with an appalling food scene. And by appalling I mean I really hope it’s made up and not some awful practice somewhere. You have Jared Keaton – supposed food magician but also crazy-as-a-loon chef. He is meant to have murdered his daughter, Elizabeth, and Poe managed to put him behind bars. Elizabeth has resurfaced to prove she is alive, but then goes missing again. So now Keaton could be freed and Poe entirely discredited. But Poe is still convinced Keaton is a psychopath.

So begins a tale of a twist on a turn on a twist. I love how the author takes you on a ride you never expected, and there are so many clues leading to each other or bouncing off each other that sometimes it’s quite something to keep track of it all. I think that might be the only thing about these books that doesn’t sit well. The fact that normally with a thriller the reader is given the clues, albeit scattered, and then we all go “Oh I didn’t see that coming.” But with these books, Poe (and my awesome supersleuth, Tilly) connects something and only later do we as readers get told what the connection was. It all makes sense in the end but we aren’t allowed to piece the puzzle together ourselves. It doesn’t stop me enjoying the books though!

I liked the introduction of Estelle (whoops, I might have gotten her name wrong but I’ll get it right in the next review) in the mortuary, and the way she is described and the processes she uses are highly entertaining. She’d probably kick my butt with her heels for that.

The investigation Poe undertakes to try to refute the blood draw proving Elizabeth is who she says she is makes every stumbling block he encounters ingenious. And creating Keaton’s timeline and linking it back to his cooking had me exhausted. I love how all the characters work so well off each other and that by now Poe and Bradshaw’s relationship is cemented in that easy to predict what you need kind of way. And bringing Poe’s dog, Edgar, into it? Yes, please!

Great story, great writing, great idea, great investigation and reworking what needed to be reworked, great reading. Next one, please!

The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver

Description from Amazon:

In the wilderness of Washington State, expert tracker Colter Shaw has located two young men accused of a terrible hate crime. But when his pursuit takes a shocking and tragic turn, Shaw becomes desperate to discover what went so horribly wrong and if he is to blame.

Shaw’s search for answers leads him to a shadowy organization that bills itself as a grief support group. But is it truly it a community that consoles the bereaved? Or a dangerous cult with a growing body count?

 

Since the last one I’d read in the series was not too bad, I thought I’d try another. Deaver is trying to get Shaw to be the action version of Rhyme and it’s good but not quite there. There are a few too many fortuitous moments, and things that are explained away by him being a survivalist or having amazing instincts or his dad imparting some knowledge to swallow.

The story initially seems farfetched, but since so much is probably not shared in real life by authorities about what goes on in cults like these, I wouldn’t be surprised. Shaw is trying to infiltrate this grief group after one of the people he was trying to find for the reward landed up killing himself. It could have been Shaw’s fault but something doesn’t feel right. So Shaw enters the group and is forced to maintain a façade as he learns about the levels and what they want to accomplish.

The charismatic leader (isn’t there always one?) sees potential in Shaw and elevates him to a position where he sees all the illegal parts happening and figures out the endgoal that the final level requires. But... he could be exposed either through his actions or others who have taken note of him.

Lots of intriguing twists and turns here and I enjoyed the competition between him and a fellow reward seeker who has no problem taking out his competition (permanently by accident).

The facets to the story do keep you guessing, and even though you sometimes have to just accept the story, it’s probably still within the realms of credibility. Even though reading Shaw and reading Rhyme are like reading two different ways of writing, there is still enough Deaver in both to keep the reading comfortable and fast. The novel goes by quickly and leaves enough to want to find out more, even though it’s not my favourite series. If I find others, I’ll keep them for rainy days.

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Description from Amazon:

Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won’t explain where she came from or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

 

I figured since I’d given Deaver and Colter Shaw a second chance, I’d do the same for Freida McFadden. Unfortunately, it just solidified that I do not gel with her writing! I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who love her stories, but this book did not do it for me.

 

I read it in about two hours, and it had a good start with an interesting book description. But...

It’s not a thriller as you would expect. It’s a psychological drama with childhood abuse and an unreliable narrator. And deals with themes of hoarding and trauma shaped by unhinged parents.

So in the midst of this crazy storm in the description, Casey finds this young girl with a knife. And the girl is threatening her. But Casey still invites her in for cookies. That struck me as very weird. Yes, the child is obviously running from something, but Casey has no means of communication with the outside world due to the storm so why does she feel comfortable enough to do this? Okay, let’s just chalk it up to Casey being a good person.

Now, she is in the woods, with a next-door neighbour who she thought she felt attracted to but is not sure about and a creepy landlord who is hitting on her. And this storm is so bad it’s threatening to bring down a huge tree on her house and take her roof off. And she still wants to take care of a girl who has literally told her she will harm her.

However, the story starts with a young girl who lives with her unhinged hoarder mother and the girl is trying to make the best of a bad situation. Granted, her choices are not the best, but she is young and has no other way of doing things. Her mom is pretty awful and locks her in the closet whenever she has male companionship – sounds like a great way to raise a kid, right?

The girl makes friends with an unlikely schoolmate and they form an unconventional but very close friendship. Something accidental but extremely serious puts paid to that.

Now I have to say that there are some *spoilers* coming up. It’s difficult to describe the book without them. I’ve tried not to give it away, but you could read into them.

The narrator is not who you think it is. And Freida has tried too hard to run parallel lives explaining the story. The odds of people who have experienced almost the same things finding each other in those circumstances are so slim (even with the explanation offered), and without them the whole story falls apart. Besides that, you have people who have literally given up their lives to keep an eye on someone based on a promise. Sweet, but no.

It caught me in the beginning, let me down in the end, and shows that she and I don’t mesh. You may have your legion of fans, but shoving “infinity promise” down my throat that many times made us break up. Sorry, Freida!

The Puppet Show by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive ...

 

I had never heard of this author before and I’m always sceptical when covers tell you about awards authors have won because I find a lot of them never live up to the expectation created in my mind. However, this was a fantastic book.

 

Poe’s character is really well written. You have to admire his tenacity and his willingness to do the wrong things for the right reasons. I loved the way he was incorporated into the narrative and the pushes in directions to get him to places. However, Tilly was an awesome character! Definitely on the spectrum, filled with loyalty and a fierceness that worked brilliantly with Poe’s ideals, her addition to the story created a side to it that added the genius and doggedness. If you are squeamish, be warned that there are scenes describing the burning bodies.

 

The plot itself took you one way and then another and layers were added at each turn. It took a while to get to the ultimate message, but the journey kept me turning page after page. And just when you thought the book was over, Poe added something right at the end that was a game changer. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver

Description from Amazon:

The son of a survivalist family, Colter Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and locate missing persons for private citizens.

“You’ve been abandoned. Escape if you can. Or die with dignity.”

Hired by the father of a young woman who has gone missing in Silicon Valley, Shaw's search takes him into the dark heart of America’s cutthroat billion-dollar video-game industry. When another person goes missing, Shaw must ask: Is a madman bringing a twisted video game to life?

Encountering eccentric designers, trigger-happy gamers, and ruthless tech titans, Shaw soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast....

 

Okay, so I said I wouldn’t read any more of this series, but I found this in the library and figured I’d try the first one to see if it sets the series up well and I just happened to not enjoy a later one. Turns out that was the case!

 

The book opens with a bang and it’s pretty much at a fast pace all the way through. We learn a bit more about Shaw’s background and how he was raised, plus are offered a question into his past. But for now, Shaw is a private citizen for “hire”, one who will track down missing people for the reward. When he takes up an offer in Silicon Valley, he finds out that the case may be linked to the world of gaming, and in particular one called The Whispering Man that gives you five pieces of equipment and you have to figure your way out of a life or death situation with them.

 

The gaming parts were interesting and the whole world of gaming (not just the stuff you see in movies) is really complex and hugely popular. Shaw gets to meet a number of rivals within the industry as well as fans, one who becomes a romantic interest. I found her character somewhat stilted, though. Couldn’t really connect with her.

 

I did enjoy the way Shaw worked through the kidnapping but I guess in many places you have to just accept certain things about the story that would normally require a decent explanation like his money or his ability to get through areas he shouldn’t be allowed in.

 

I still don’t think this series is as good as Rhyme but I’ll try another just to see where it’s going.