#BlogBlitz Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell #Review @Caroline_writes @Bookouture

Today I’m may just be a little over excited because not only do I get to share my review for a gripping book, but I’m also one of many bloggers taking part in the #BligBlitz for Murder Games by the awesome Caroline Mitchell, so make sure you check out all the reviews. Murder Game was published by the fabulous Bookouture on the 31st October 2017.

Murder Game is the third book in the Detective Ruby Preston series and it’s a series I would highly recommend. My thanks to Noelle at https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk and Bookouture for my ARC and allowing me to be part of the #BlogBlitz.

Book description

To catch a killer, you must first think like one…

A killer is playing a twisted game of life or death with his victims. After he captures them, a countdown begins. He marks the time by sending clues to the whereabouts of the women he has taken in three disturbing images: alive, tortured, dead.

In a race against the clock, East London Detective Ruby Preston must play the killer’s terrifying murder game and decipher the clues before more women die.

But this isn’t the first time the police have seen such a sickening crime. The notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, was put behind bars ten years ago for murdering six women in exactly the same chilling way. Desperate for more information, Ruby asks her gangster boyfriend, Nathan Crosby, to set up a dangerous meeting to allow her to see into the twisted mind of a murderer.

But the closer Ruby grows to the dark and charming Mason Gatley, the more worried her team becomes. Is he really helping her catch the killer? Or is he lining her up to be his next victim?

My review

I will say one thing for Caroline Mitchell her books always open wth an prologue that immediately draws you in with a promise of a dark and deviously plotted tale and Murder Game is no different. Hells bells once I read the epilogue for this one I knew it was going to be a read “in one sitting” kind of book and I wasn’t wrong! This is the third book in the Detective Ruby Preston and although you could probably read it as a standalone I would urge you to read the series in order, just because it’s such a well written crime thriller series.

The author has used her very vivid imagination to come up with a deliciously dark and brutal plot, and what a disturbing killer the author has created, especially when you consider the fact once the victims are captured, the killer sends clues to the whereabouts of the women he has taken in three disturbing images: alive, tortured, and dead. As the investigation intensifies Detective Ruby Preston can’t help but think the killer is following in the footsteps of notorious Lonely Hearts Killer, Mason Gatley, who murdered six women in exactly the same gruesome way? Ruby certainly has her work cut out in Murder Games as she tries to bring one killer to justice, whilst trying to keep one step ahead of the devil himself psychopath Mason Gatley.

It must be difficult when writing a crime thriller to devise a Detective that stands out from the norm, more often than not they end up being your typical stereotype. Fortunately the author manages to add an original slant to her character by putting her in a relationship with gangster boyfriend, Nathan Crosby. At some point you know her relationship with Nathan will go spectacularly wrong and put her career in jeopardy, but the not knowing why are how just makes their relationship all the more interesting.

The author’s background in the police force adds authenticity to Murder Game, Caroline Mitchell very much brings the brutal crime scenes, the investigation and police procedures to life, which at times make for a disconcerting read. The plot is fast paced very much like the investigation, and I’m sure my heart was pounding as Murder Game reached its dramatic conclusion. I think this is the most gruesome book in the series, shocking and gristly in parts and never a dull moment that’s for sure, for me personally, they make the perfect crime thriller read. I’m devastated to learn this will be the last book in the series, as it has huge potential, but Caroline Mitchell has ended the series on a high and Murder Games is a worthy addition to this gripping and highly addictive crime series.

Print Length: 285 pages

Publisher: Bookouture (31 Oct. 2017)
Buying links: Amazon UK 🇬🇧 Amazon US 🇺🇸

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Thriller Author.  Originally from Ireland, Caroline lives with her family, parrot and two dogs in a pretty village on the coast of Essex. A former police detective, Caroline has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. Published by Bookouture and Thomas & Mercer, she now writes full time and all her books have become number 1 best sellers in their categories.  Her fast-paced DC Jennifer Knight thrillers carry a hint of the supernatural and are weaved from Caroline’s personal experiences in the police and paranormal.  Set in Shoreditch, London, her DS Ruby Preston series is described as “terrifying, addictive serial killer thrillers”.

Caroline also writes psychological thrillers, the most recent, Witness, has been described as “thrilling, tense, exciting, dark and twisted in the best possible way”.

Author Social Media Links:
www.caroline-writes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3076677.Caroline_Mit
https://twitter.com/Caroline_writes
www.pinterest.com/Writeparanormal
https://www.facebook.com/CMitchellAuthor/