@BoldwoodBooks – Kate Kenzie Writes

I’m excited to share my review for The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markin as part of the blog tour. A new author for me, the Yorkshire location and blurb caught my attention.

Scroll down to read more.

Book Review: The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markin

Title: The Lonely Lake Killings

Author: Wes Markin

Publisher: Boldwood books

Genre: Crime

Release date: 21st November 2022

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3Xt9K80

Blurb

A lonely recluse. A missing girl and a community in fear.

When the body of a young local girl is found next to an isolated lake, the main suspect is the old recluse who has lived next to the lake for many years – especially when the young girl’s purse is found on the old man’s doorstep.

But DCI Emma Gardner and her partner DI Paul Riddick aren’t so sure. Why would the old hermit leave such an obvious clue? And who would want to set the old man up?

As they dig deeper into the murder they discover a community in fear, determined to keep hold of long buried secrets. And Riddick is convinced that his own dark past is somehow linked to this crime, too.

Gardner fears that she may never get the answers she needs, until a break leads her down a path she’d rather not face. One that runs directly to her own front door…

My Thoughts

This is the second book in the Yorkshire Murder series but can easily be read as a standalone as I did because all you need to know about the detectives from the previous book are revealed while reading. I love crime thrillers, but there are only a handful that make me search for the back catalogue as soon as I finish reading or browse for the next one. This is one of those.

DCI Gardner and DI Riddick are a complex police duo with messed up personal lives which engaged my attention just as much as the crime they were solving. With a psychopathic brother, a traumatised niece and a fellow detective dealing with his own turmoil, Gardner’s life is on a knife edge personally and professionally.

While the murder promised to be simple, the twists and turns kept me on my toes and turning the page to until the unnerving truth was revealed. The novel is chocked full of action, traipsing into the underworld of Knaresborough and looking at how the stigma of being seen as different, and vulnerable can lead to suspicions correct or otherwise. All the characters have depth and backstories which played into the current investigation and beyond.

The investigative team were well formed, with a strong chemistry and camaraderie that gives a good foundation for the in future books and scope for more drama, betrayal and fissions. Set against the backdrop of the stunning locations in Yorkshire, I’m eager to read the next one and was thrilled that my local library had the previous one, The Viaduct Murders available for loan. It was just as thrilling as this The Lonely Lake Killings adding to my conviction that this series will soothe my crime drama addiction now Happy Valley is over.

Author Biography

Photo of Wes Markin. White man, short hair, smiling dressed in a shirt and jumper. — Wes Markin

Wes Markin is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels, set in Salisbury. His new series for Boldwood stars the pragmatic detective DCI Emma Gardner who will be tackling the criminals of North Yorkshire.  Wes lives in Harrogate and the first book in the series The Yorkshire Murders will be published in November 2022.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesMarkinAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesmarkinauthor/

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wes-markin

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lyndas_bookreview (ig) ~ books by bindu ~ hooked from page one
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rae reads ~ the word is out ~ alyson's reviews ~ @whatjaneyreads

#TheLonelyLakeKillings @rararesources @bookandtonic #boldwoodbloggers @BoldwoodBooks — Other blogs on this tour

Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources for the invite and advanced copy of this book to review.

Happy reading!

Love

All about Books, Book review

Book Review: The Neighbour by Gemma Rogers

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 kakenzieblog

After immersing myself in my stash of Christmas romances it was a refreshing change to start the year with a psychological thriller. My first review of 2023 is for The Neighbour by Gemma Rogers. Thank you Rachel’s Random Resources for this blog tour invite and an advanced copy so I could give my honest opinion.

Scroll down to see what I thought

Book Review: The Neighbour by Gemma Rogers

Book cover for The Neighbour by Gemma Rogers. Predominantly yellow cover. A white open window with a white woman, long brown hair in red top staring out. — The Neighbour by Gemma Rogers

Title: The Neighbour

Author: Gemma Rogers

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Release Date: 5th January 2023

Genre: Psychological thriller

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3DkqDIy

Blurb:

Love thy neighbour or fear thy neighbour?

For myself and Lauren, my 10-year-old daughter No3 Beech Close was to be our refuge after two years of hell nursing my sick mother.

In need of a fresh start and wanting to distance ourselves from the bad memories of my mother’s house we moved to Beech Close, a small cul-de-sac of six houses situated around a picture-perfect green.

It seemed perfect but I had underestimated the secrets that this tightknit community shared.

Within hours of moving in my next-door neighbour Valerie made it abundantly clear we were not welcome.

I soon discovered that Valerie hadn’t welcomed the previous occupant either and she’d since disappeared without a trace.

Had I put myself and my daughter in danger moving to Beech Close?

Which neighbours, if any could I trust?

And how far would they go to keep their secret?

My Thoughts

With a blurb like the above, I was eager to start reading and the tension of reading a psychological thriller hit within the first few pages. When the newcomer, Shelly’s dog goes to the loo on the neighbour’s lawn, you know it isn’t going to be a happy outcome. After living in many places in my life with many neighbours, it was easily imaginable to see how it could escalate

Shelly’s longing for a nice environment for her daughter, Lauren, to grow up in after a turbulent few years was relatable and I liked them both. In a community of perfection, Shelly had a sense of normality about her and I could easily imagine being friend’s with her and chatting over a coffee, but I did find some of her reasonings and actions debatable especially when her suspicions were aroused about the previous resident of her house. It made me want to reach into the pages and shout at her, but I guess this is a positive as it meant I was invested in the story and her as a character.

This close-knit creepy road provides a significant cast of people to suspect in this thriller, as Shelly unpicks what happened beforehand and realises dangers await. The tension is set early on and I found my anxiety levels were kept high throughout, not helped by my concern over the dog. I think having two of my own who are like family means if there is a sense of danger concerning the fictional canines, the tension increases tenfold. Forget whether the residents of no 3 were going to survive the mystery surrounding the neighbourhood. I needed to know Teddy would be fine.

With unexpected twists, this was an enjoyable and refreshing read after the festive period and kept me reading into the night.

Would I recommend?

Yes, with sinister vibes from all the neighbours with hidden secrets galore to uncover this is an entertaining creepy thriller that will make you think twice about moving into your dream location.

Author Biography

Photo of Gemma Rogers. White background. White woman, short dark hair with pixie cut, and dark floral blouse. Smiling. — Gemma Rogers

Gemma Rogers was inspired to write gritty thrillers by a traumatic event in her own life nearly twenty years ago. Her debut novel Stalker was published in September 2019 and marked the beginning of a new writing career. Gemma lives in West Sussex with her husband and two daughters.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemma.rogersauthor.35

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GemmaRogers79

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/gemmarogersauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/GemmaRogerNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gemma-rogers

All about Books, Book review

Book review: The Sleepover by Keri Beevis

November 8, 2022 kakenzieblog

It seemed to have been ages since I had read a thrilling psychological thriller so when an invite for this book landed in my inbox I had to say yes. The Sleepover by Keri Beevis’s blurb sounded creepy and promised to be an exciting read. Scroll down to see if it fulfilled its potential.

Book review: The Sleepover by Keri Beevis

Book cover for The Sleepover by Keri Beevis. A brooding dark sky with a desolate farmhouse in the foreground with an abandoned child's bike nearby — The Sleepover by Keri Beevis

Title: The Sleepover

Author: Keri Beevis

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Genre: Psychological thriller, crime

Release Date: 24^th October 2022

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3o2ugfb

Blurb

When you’re a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it’s dark.

You don’t expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know…

The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships.

We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us.

But that was before her…

Before we became known as the Hixton Six and our lives become defined by one night.

It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away.

But now she’s free and strange things have started to happen.

When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real.

Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.

My Thoughts

This was a thrilling and tense read with unexpected twists and a surprise conclusion. As a page turner, I couldn’t put it down. Luckily, I was in hospital so had the perfect excuse to just keep reading. I read it in a day and it surpassed my all expectations.

It was creepy and held its sinister undertone throughout. Told in three different points of view with seemingly unreliable narrators, it was hard to know who to trust as the story unfolded and the truth of what happened on the fateful night was revealed. This suspicion and twists kept me gripped.

The present dealt with the aftermath of a traumatic event and the effect on adult lives. In some cases, relationships imploded and others the shared event forged deeper bonds. It felt realistic making me engage with the characters more even when their decisions made no sense to outsiders. The threat of vengeance added the tension between the group and was cleverly broken up by the memories of childhood friendships and idyllic summer. Knowing that something terrible would occur to the six children made me fearful for them. I needed to know the inciting event for all the horror and I wasn’t disappointed with the ending.

Would I recommend?

Oh yes, it was a tense page turner where children’s lives were turned upside down by a danger hidden in plain sight and shows how childhood trauma has ramifications into adulthood. The childhood chapters were reminiscent to Stephen King’s Stand by Me in the emotions it evoked.

Keri Beevis is a talented writer and I need to catch up with her other books.

Author Biography

Photo of Keri Beevis. White woman, smiling with silvery long blonde hair wearing a red top. — Keri Beevis

Keri Beevis is the internationally bestselling author of Dying To Tell, Deep Dark Secrets, Trust No One, Every Little Breath and The People Next Door. Dying To Tell reached no. 1 in the Amazon chart in Australia and was a top 25 hit in the UK. Keri wrote her first novel at age twenty, but it was a further twenty years before she was published, after winning a contract in a competition run by a small press. She lives in Norfolk, along with her two naughty kitties, Ellie and Lola, and a plentiful supply of red wine (her writing fuel).

Social Media Links

Facebook: Keri Beevis – Author | Facebook

Twitter: Keri Beevis (@keribeevis) / Twitter

Instagram: Keri Beevis (@keri.beevis) • Instagram photos and videos

Bookbub profile: Keri Beevis Books – BookBub

Thank you Random Thing Tours for inviting me to this tour and providing an advanced copy for me to review and give my honest and unbiased opinion.

Love