The Corpse With The Granite Heart by Cathy Ace

 

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You can buy The Corpse with the Granite Heart...Here

You can visit Cathy's website...Here

The Blurb...

Welsh Canadian criminal psychologist Cait Morgan, and her retired-cop husband Bud Anderson, are in London, England, to meet their friend John Silver’s freshly minted fiancée, the daughter of a recently deceased Shakespeare aficionado, and captain of industry. The trip is supposed to be filled with art galleries, good food, and Christmas spirit. However, an untimely death at a posh dinner party threatens to send shock waves through the upper strata of London society.

My Review...

This is the 11th book in the Cait Morgan series by Cathy Ace. In this series Cait travels the world to iconic locations tripping over corpses and investigating murder. 

This book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.

For fans of Cluedo and Agatha Christie. A locked room, or in this case a closed mansion, mystery with only a few potential killers. This is a densely layered cosy, crime who-dunnit, which takes some unpicking. Set in suburban London mansion at Christmas, the bodies fall faster than snow. The story benefits from a fairly complex plot which makes the killer not too easy to spot. (Well I didn't spot them, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.) The characters will be familiar from the genre. The mis-matched twins, the old, blustering knight of the realm, the grasping, gold digger, the grim police detective et al.  

Only one thing threw me a little, and this is probably down to me being an old git and not "down with kids."The author uses the phrase mugged several times. As in "mugged a grin" or "mugged a salute." I couldn't work it out for a while. I was thinking, robbed in the street, with the threat of violence. Nope 🤔 eventually worked it out, it means to over react often in a smug/smarmy way. So there you go. Everyday's a school day. Apparently it's quite a well known thing too, these days. So its just me then....

The mansion is quite intricate with numerous rooms, outbuildings, stairs etc. The book may have benefitted from a floor plan, just to keep the locations clear. 

The author has an unusual style. It's like getting drawn into a conversation with a gossipy neighbour, and eventually becoming entangled into her world. Or when something like "Loose Women" is on TV. One minute your'e walking through the lounge and the next  you find yourself sat watching, wondering what will happen now that Simon has left Joanne with the kids and gone to shack up with that gold digger Serena Chardonnay.

Written in the first person. The protagonist is a very interesting character psychologically speaking. For one she has a propensity to say and do things to blend into her social surroundings whilst actually thinking something totally different. This duality/incongruence is not something I often come across. The only other protagonist I can think of like this is Patricia Highsmith's Talented Mr Ripley. Cait's chameleon act is very subtle and not as drastic as Ripley's but is there none the less. (see selected quotes.)

Secondly, it would appear she has some up close experience of the English Class system and definitely NOT a fan. A view with which I would have some sympathy. I could have picked several quotes to illustrate this but settled for just two (see selected quotes). Cait often uses her "think one way, act another" skill to camouflage herself in the society she dislikes intensely.

There is a section where Cait lists four characteristics of a psychopath. As I read them I thought, yep and you have at least three of them, but that doesn't make her a bad person just an effective investigator

All in all a very quotable and excellent example of the genre with a fascinating lead character. Always thinking outside the box... She would be a fantastic villain. 

Selected Quotes...

"I plastered what I hoped was a sympathetic look onto my face."

“Bella and Sasha, and Charles of course, were away at school for years,” began John. “Cheltenham and Eton, respectively.” Oh, the delights of moving in circles where the assumption is that all children go to boarding school, was what I thought. “Of course,” was what I mumbled

 "It was the first time I’d encountered the titanium mesh that binds together those who’ve endured the particular brand of cruelty and indoctrination that’s the stockin-trade of the English public school system."

"I reckon he’s overcompensating for something, though I don’t know what.” Possibly an unhappy childhood, packed off to board with the well-heeled but not necessarily super-bright? Was what I thought."

“Women have a much greater ability than men to be desperately cruel.”

"Until that moment I’d never considered a voice to be capable of slithering,"

About the Author...

Cathy Ace migrated from her native Wales to Canada at the age of 40. She is the award-winning author of the traditional Cait Morgan Mysteries featuring her Welsh Canadian criminology professor sleuth who travels the world tripping over corpses, which have now been optioned for TV. She also writes the cozier WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries featuring a quartet of female PIs who run their business out of a Welsh stately home. Both series have been well-reviewed. Her award-winning standalone, THE WRONG BOY, is a gripping novel of psychological suspense, set in Wales, and has also been optioned for TV.

Cathy's work has won the prestigious Bony Blithe Award for best Canadian light mystery, an IPPY and an IBA Award, and has been shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story.

Her short story "Dear George" appeared on the UK's O Level English Language syllabus and, together with another story, "Domestic Violence", has been produced for BBC Radio 4. 

The Couple at No9 by Claire Douglas

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You Can buy The Couple at No9....Here

Review by Owen Powell

The Blurb...

When Saffron Cutler and boyfriend Tom move into 9 Skelton Place, they didn't expect to find this.

Two bodies, buried under the patio over thirty years ago.

When the police launch a murder investigation, they ask to speak to the cottage's former owner - Saffy's grandmother, Rose, whose Alzheimer's clouds her memory.

But it is clear she remembers something . . .

What happened thirty years ago?
What part did her grandmother play?
And is Saffy now in danger? . . .

My Review..

Two bodies are discovered in the garden of No. 9 Skelton Place, leaving it’s recent owners – a pregnant Saffron and her boyfriend Tom in utter dismay. The police launch a murder investigation and inform the couple that those bodies have been buried in the garden for at least thirty years, and as a result will take some time to identify them. This leads Saffron and Tom, as well as some other characters we meet along the way, to launch their own investigation of sorts, unravelling the mystery of the murders that occurred in No. 9 Skelton Place all the way back in 1980. The woman at the center of that crime, Rose – Saffron’s Grandmother, still lives to this day, holding all the information they need to uncover what really happened back then. However, that information is not so simple to obtain, seeing as Rose is now suffering from Alzheimer’s. 

This book was my first foray into the mystery genre and overall I found it to be an enjoyable one. The story is very much a “slow-burn” akin to an ITV crime series, immersing you into the lives of these characters and the events they find themselves in. Being a young man of 22 years who has been subjugated to a slew of marvel movies that have rendered my attention span useless unless there’s an explosion or an epic inter-species battle involved, I was impressed that this story succeeded in keeping me intrigued throughout, which is a noteworthy feat.  

I have no real complaints with this novel, other than the fact that this genre is not particularly my domain, which is just down to personal preference. This however did not stop me from appreciating the tale being told, and indeed the way it is told. 

Each chapter is dedicated to the perspective of a particular character, offering the reader a wide array of personal angles to view this story from. The story itself does not feed you all of the information at once, rather you are fed a crumb at a time, just as the characters are. This was the hook that kept me curious, kept me theorizing and ultimately kept me wanting more. 

As the mystery unravels we encounter several unexpected twists and turns along the way, including a shocking revelation toward the end that I had no idea was coming. The characters themselves are quite believable, you can easily understand who they are as people and why they behave the way they do (With exception to Victor, who is just a pure knob) In addition to these aspects which make the story as engaging as it is, the author Claire Douglas writes in a style that is very easy to digest, making this book accessible to almost anyone. 

Overall I found The Couple at No. 9 to  be a pleasurable and intriguing read and would definitely recommend it to fans of slow-burn mystery stories. I’m not saying it could have benefited from a little bit of galactic warfare, but I’m not not saying that either. 

Selected Quotes...

"Saffy has always lived too close to the well as Lorna used to put it."

"I glance at mum in the rear view mirror. She's taken her hat off and her dark brown eyes are bright with excitement, but there's something else too, a pain that she's trying to hide. I wonder what's really going on with her and Alberto. I always get the sense that my mother is running away."

"It's obvious that having me at sixteen ruined her teenage years. Something she certainly seems to be making up for now, judging by her facebook photos"

"our memories are forever evolving, so we only remember the version of the memory we last recalled rather than the original event."

About the Author...

Claire Douglas has worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women’s magazines and newspapers, but she’s dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning Marie Claire’s Debut Novel Award for her first book, The Sisters, which became a bestseller. She lives in Bath, England, with her husband and two children.

The Chair by G.B.Williams

 

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You can buy The Chair...Here

You can follow GB Williams...Here

The blurb....

On a snowbound Cadair Idris, death comes stalking. Cobb retreated to Cadair Idris for a solitary life of peace and quiet, and to escape his dangerous past. Though that illusion starts to crumble after he and Branwen Jones, the local vet, find a mysterious RTA victim and shelter him in Cobb's home.

When elements of London's criminal underbelly reach Wales, and their presence throws the close knit community into stark relief, the chance to settle old scores could prove too tempting.

With no choice but to try and hide the RTA victim from people who want to kill him, Cobb's not sure he is ready to rejoin the world he's running from, when that means putting another woman in the firing line. Meanwhile Branwen's not sure she can face the relevation of her darkest secret.

But as they face the final showdown, a race over the snowed-in mountain, will anyone survive unscathed.

My Review...

On a  foreboding Welsh mountainside a man is hiding from the grief of his wife being murdered. He is also trying not to fall in love with the local vet and fellow mountain rescuer. A lad on the run crashes on the mountain and they conspire to aid him medically and hide him from his pursuers and the rozzers. And that's just the start.

As the hitmen roll into the village the tension ramps up. Branwen (the vet) is torn between her old flame and the enigmatic new guy, but he blows hot and cold. He thinks she doesn't want him and she thinks he doesn't want her and it's all a bit Jane Austin. 

She has a guilty secret herself, which is weighing heavily on her shoulders and her relationship with her dad is fragile at best. 

So there are numerous subplots to pique your interest. The main thread though is the Welsh high noon/Cliffhanger type ending that the whole book is leading to.

The book is a lot more racy than I thought it would be 😯! With a slight whiff of sadism/masochism.

You do have to suspend belief a little when the connections between the protagonists/antagonists begin to appear. Also when the vet explains that half the village wont talk to her because her dad was illegitimate! I'm a Welshman from a small village and if that were true the whole valley would be as silent as the grave. Still even the greatest plots suspend belief a little. I remember reading a tale of two cities and thinking "well, what are the chances of that happening." If you wanted ultra realism, well then you wouldn't be reading a book, would you.

The setting is a bonus.You can feel the hypothermia and exposure crawling through your bones. In addition in the "local village for local people" the sense of detachment from the hub bub of more populated parts is palpable.

A little cheesy in parts, but in a good way. Everyone needs a little cheesy moment now and again. I found myself cheering along with the "I'm Spartacus" moment in the pub. 

The actual hero isn't the enigmatic stranger (played in my head by James Purefoy) but our strong independent female vet (Nicole Kidman with black hair 🤷‍♂️.)

All in all an enjoyably tense countdown/ pursuit thriller in a great mountain backdrop and  with a local village setting. A cracking read.

Selected Quotes...

"He had made it his business to find out everything he could about the big hitters, and most of them stood quietly away from the microphone and the press."

"There wasn't a law against dislike, if there were Johnston would have to arrest half the village - and caution the other half."

"One tall and blonde, one shorter and dark haired? Gym muscle? Her father nodded, like many who lived and worked with people muscled by the activity of life he easily saw when someone was more pumped by static weightlifting than activity."

"Better to be at the left hand of the devil than in his path."

About the author...

G.B. Williams has finally left the world of nine to five and offices behind, swapping system design for writing and freelance editing. She writes crime fiction as G.B. William's, and has written novels, shorts and flash fiction. She  has also had some success with steam punk (writing as Abi Barden), paranormal prose and poetry. She was born in Kent grew up in Tonbridge  met and married a Welshman, and now lives in Swansea.

Exit by Belinda Bauer

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can buy Exit....Here

The Blurb...

Meet Felix Pink. The most unlikely murderer you'll ever have the good fortune to spend time with.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he's there to perform an act of charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . .

But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police - after making the biggest mistake of his life.

Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while staying one shaky step ahead of the law.

My Review..

Felix Pink is a lovely old gentleman who has suffered loss. He is a widower whose only son died at the age of 19. Felix is heartbroken and melancholic but he is also altruistic and caring. He is an "Exiteer" a group who advise the terminally ill on assisted suicide. Felix will come and sit with a terminally patient, as a comforting presence, while they commit the final act. But this time something goes wrong, this time the wrong man dies. Is it an accident or is Felix being set up. The old codger only has one thing left in this world... his integrity so he sets out to find the truth.

The background of assisted suicide can be controversial in the media but I believe on the ground most people believe that the terminally should not have to suffer a long drawn out painful death. You literally wouldn't treat a dog like that. However we do not have this "Dignitas" type set up in the UK and so in the absence of an organised, government led alternatives the desperate seek aid wherever they can. All very emotive, serious and depressing. The book could have been a misery fest, and although it is thought provoking and poignant is it also warm and humorous. Bauer is a master at getting the delicate balance just right and her eye for social observation (rather than social commentary) is quite superbly clinical.

Characterisation is spot on and often darkly comic. On occasion my sub conscious brain will cast just one character in a book and the others remain a shadowy amalgam. The one that really popped into my head this time was Reggie Can. The put upon grandson of the terminally ill "Skipper Can" to me Stephen Merchant is Reggie. A bit fed up and a bit lonely and carrying his troubles dutifully but with a bit of a whinge.

Another favourite strong lead character is the hapless PC Calvin Bridge yet to fully mature, unlucky in love, and ashamed of his hidden criminal family. The whole minor character ensemble is really vibrant. Some traits have been thickened slightly to provide  caricatures with a small c. They are larger than life but only slightly so and you could recognise the type in your own (working class) life. The  background cast is like a scene from a West Country "Boys from the Blackstuff." And the whole North Devon setting also adds to the narrative. Again evoking warmth and slightly dark gentle comedy but with a sinister ambience.

With this book I flitted between reading the written word and the audiobook. I feel I must mention the superb narration. I looked up the narrator to mention his name here only to find that it is in fact well known actor Tim McInnery of Blackadder fame. This is probably the best narrated book that I have ever listened to. His various West Country accents are excellent as is his pacing, diction and delivery. 

This is a really good book. I have read two previous books by Belinda Bauer. "Rubbernecker" which I thought was good and "Blacklands" which I thought was OK but not as good as Rubbernecker. Exit is by far the best book of hers that I have read. 

Fans of Richard Osman of the Thursday Murder Club will love this book. I personally think Exit is even better than The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Thought provoking, heart warming and funny. One of those where you slow down towards the end because you don't want it to end. A master at work.

Selected Quotes...

"Felix Pink’s days of buying clothes were over. He had bought his last three-pack of Y-fronts a year ago, and the socks he had now would see him out. It was a strange feeling – that he would be outlived by his socks."

"Of course it wouldn’t help. Nothing would help. Not even time, whose billing as a great healer was vastly overrated, in his experience."

"There was a paperback book, open and face down, which almost made Felix have palpitations. He always used a bookmark and it pained him to see a book treated so shabbily– even a Clive Cussler."

"Petty theft. Common assault. ABH. Cheque fraud. Who commits cheque fraud any more? thought Calvin idly. Might as well steal a pig!"

"Nobody ever spoke of the relentless parking that was demanded by a relative in hospital with a prolonged illness."

"Feeding somebody’s cat was like trying to plan a mini-break in Brigadoon."

About the Author..

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in Wales. She worked as a journalist and a screenwriter before finally writing a book to appease her nagging mother. With her debut, Blacklands, Belinda was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year. She went on to win the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work in 2013. Her fourth novel Rubbernecker was voted 2014 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2018 her eighth novel, Snap, was longlisted for the Man Booker prize. Her books have been translated into 21 languages. She has also written the thriller High Rollers under the pen-name Jack Bowman.