Category Archives: Eileen Wharton

**Weekly Wrap Up**

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I thought I would have a change and do a weekly wrap up post rather than a Stacking the shelves post, so here it is…..

I’m on a weeks holiday at the moment and not been well, so on the downside I haven’t been up to much, but every cloud has a silver lining and all that jazz, and I have have managed to read 6 books

In to Deep by Samantha Haynes

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you can read my review here……. In too Deep Review

Something Old Something New by Darcie Boleyn

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I am taking part in the blog tour so check back on Friday the 20th May for my review, I did really enjoy this “feel good read”

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

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My review will be up shortly for The Night Stalker, but I will say I absolutely loved this book

Daisy In Chains by Sharon Bolton

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Again I will be posting my review soon, and Sharon Bolton is on form with Daisy In Chains

Blanket Of Blood by Eileen Wharton

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You can read my review here ……Blanket Of Blood Book Review

My Girl by Jack Jordan

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This is another book I’m reading and reviewing for the My Girl blog tour, you will be able to read my review on Thursday 16th June, if you love a dark and twisted crime thriller I would highly recommend you get a copy of My Girl

I bought three books this week, I use to read loads of real crime books, and so after seeing these posted on a thread on Facebook I decided to treat myself (well it is my birthday this weekend)
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Coming next week on the book review cafe

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Author interview with Mary-Jane Riley

Review for Daisy In Chains by Sharon Bolton 

Guest review by Virginia King for In Her Wake by Amanda Jenning 

Review for Play Dead by Angela Marsons

 

Blanket Of Blood by Eileen Wharton

 

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Book description;
The gripping first novel in an explosive new crime series.

The body of a baby is found in the woods. But all is not as it seems…

A twisted serial killer is targeting young, pregnant girls.

Senior Investigating Officer, D.I. Gary Blood, must use all his powers of deduction to bring to justice the most sadistic murderer his force has ever seen. A killer unlike any he has hunted before. But Blood has problems of his own. Can he stop his private life interfering with the case?

To find the killer Blood needs to understand the motive. But this is a place full of secrets, where dark pasts lie buried.

Will Blood catch The Crochet Hook killer before it’s too late?

The truth is closer than you think.

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Blanket of Blood is the first book in a series of D.I. Gary Blood crime novels written by Eileen Wharton, and what a fantastic start to a very promising series. In Blanket Of Blood we meet D.I. Gary Blood he’s your typical crime thriller detective he drinks too much, sleeps around and his personal life is a mess, but despite all his foibles, I found him to be an engaging and a very likeable protagonist. This book is not one for the faint hearted, it’s pretty graphic in parts, when a body of a baby is found in the woods, and a twisted serial killer begins to target young, pregnant girls you know it’s not going to be a pretty tale. Throughout Blanket Of Blood we get snippets from the serial killer himself, which gives a chilling insight into the darkest corners of the human mind, and believe me this serial killer is one twisted individual!

Blanket Of Blood is a very dark and chilling read, but the author manages to add a touch of humour by creating original and very believable dialogue between characters, which balances out what could have been a very dark and depressing read. There are interesting Parallels with real criminal cases, which make the plot unfortunately very plausible in parts. There were a few sub plots that really didn’t add to the story, but that is just a small criticism and in no way distracted from a compelling and disturbing read. As the investigation intensifies, so does the pace and we see a different side to Blood as he tries to get ahead of the killer.

By the time I had read 70% of Blanket Of Blood I can honestly say I was no closer to working out who the killer was than when I started, so this certainly added to my enjoyment of this book, I just hate it when you work the plot out early in a book! There are enough red herrings to lead the reader astray, and my imagination was working overtime as I tried to piece this well plotted puzzle together, I failed right up until the killer was revealed, which is very unusual for me and well done to the author for managing to keep me on tender hooks until the heart stopping conclusion.

Eileen Wharton the author has produced a dark and gritty debut crime novel, chilling in subject, well paced and darkly disturbing, I will certainly be looking to read the next in the D.I.Blood series when it’s released. A promising start to what I hope will become a long running series.
My thanks to Shell Baker over at Crime Book Club and Eileen Wharton for my review copy in exchange for a honest review.

4☕️☕️☕️☕️ out of 5

Print Length: 349 pages

Publisher: Bloodhound Books (1 April 2016)

Kindle

**Stacking The Shelves**

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Here’s my round up of stacking the Shelves hosted by http://tyngasreviews.com/ Stacking the Shelves highlight books which have been received In a week. Paper books, e-books, ARC’s received, books bought or borrowed, are all included.

ARC

The Humming Bird’s Cage by Tamara Dietrich

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Book Description

Joanna has spent ten years married to a monster.

Everyone thinks she has the perfect life, but behind closed doors she lives in constant fear of her husband.

Escape seems impossible – and then a stranger offers her a chance to flee.

On the run with her young daughter, Joanna finds herself in the mysterious town of Morro. With no memory of how she got there. And no idea of what the town truly is.

Joanna faces a rare and terrible choice – stay safe, or return to face the fight of her life, to save herself and her little girl.

A Secret To The Grave by Jane Blythe 

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Book Description 

A suicide.

A secret.

To the grave.

That was the promise that ten girls made many years ago, and now the time has come when they will be forced to make a choice. Keep the secret and lose their lives, or reveal it and risk the lives of others.

Detective Parker Bell has just returned to work after shooting dead a killer, when he and his partner land the case of a young woman abducted by a man who has left a list of clues pointing to nine other women he plans to kill.

Throughout the course of the investigation Parker meets Tessa Micah, a potential victim and the most interesting, striking, infuriating woman he has ever met, she awakens something inside of him that he thought was long dead.

When Tessa refuses to shed any light on why she is in the sights of a serial killer its up to Parker to find the madman before he can bring his plan to fruition, leaving ten dead women in his wake.

Something Old Something New by Darcie Boleyn

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Book Description

A heartwarming, giggle-inducing romance from Darcie Boleyn, just in time for the wedding season! Will you marry me…again?

When Annie Thomas agrees to give her ex away at his wedding to his boyfriend, she thinks she’ll be fine. With her three children at her side, she can handle anything. Then she finds out her gorgeous first ex-husband Evan Llewellyn is flying in from his glamorous life in New York to attend as well!

An unexpected pregnancy ended their relationship and as she stumbles through the ups and downs of life as a working single mum – helping everyone else find a happy ending along the way – Annie refuses to believe their old and incredibly hot spark can still exist.

It’s only when she and Evan are forced to face up to the past together that they’ll discover if they can have their own happily-ever-after too!

Forgive Me by Daniel Palmer

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Book Description

a heart-pounding thriller from one of the most innovative voices in contemporary suspense, a woman unravels the shocking truth about her parents, her past, and a life built upon an unthinkable lie.

At DeRose & Associates Private Investigators in Virginia, Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways–work that stands in stark contrast to her own safe, idyllic childhood. But in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, Angie makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among the mementos in her parents’ attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and a hand-written message on the back: “May God forgive me.”

Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother’s possessions. Her father claims to know nothing. Could Angie have a sister or other relative she was never told about? Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal working with her agency, agrees to help Angie learn the fate of the girl in the photograph. But the lies she and Bryce unearth will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice–and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Last To Die by Arlene Hunt

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Book Description

He watches. He waits. He kills …

When Jessie Conway survives a horrific mass high school shooting, in the aftermath she finds herself thrust into the media spotlight, drawing all kinds of attention. But some of it is the wrong kind.

Caleb Switch, a sadistic serial killer has been watching her every move. A skilled hunter, he likes his victims to be a challenge to him. Jessie is strong, fearless, a survivor, and now…she is his ultimate prey.

As Caleb picks off his current victims one by one, chasing, killing and butchering them with his crossbow, he’s closing in on Jessie… But will Jessie defy the odds and escape with her life? Or will she be Caleb’s final sacrifice …

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

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Book Description

the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head.

A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike.

The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secrecy? And what links them to the killer?

As a heat wave descends upon London, Erika will do everything to stop the Night Stalker before the body count rises, even if it means risking her job. But the victims might not be the only ones being watched… Erika’s own life could be on the line.

Blanket Of Blood by Eileen Wharton

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Book Description 

The gripping first novel in an explosive new crime series.

The body of a baby is found in the woods. But all is not as it seems…

A twisted serial killer is targeting young, pregnant girls.

Senior Investigating Officer, D.I. Gary Blood, must use all his powers of deduction to bring to justice the most sadistic murderer his force has ever seen. A killer unlike any he has hunted before. But Blood has problems of his own. Can he stop his private life interfering with the case?

To find the killer Blood needs to understand the motive. But this is a place full of secrets, where dark pasts lie buried.

Will Blood catch The Crochet Hook killer before it’s too late?

The truth is closer than you think.

Books I have bought

The Real Book Thief by Ingrid Black

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Book Description
In October 2015, crime writer Ingrid Black discovered that her first novel The Dead, the story of a former FBI agent tracking down a serial killer in Dublin, had been plagiarised and was being sold under a different name by another author on Kindle.

The thief’s name was Joanne Clancy, a former Kindle All Star, and the book that she called Tear Drop was No 1 in the Irish crime fiction charts at the time. Not only that, but she had a second book scheduled for release in a few weeks time, and that one turned out to be a carbon copy of Ingrid Black’s second book about the same character, The Dark Eye. The Real Book Thief tells the story of how Ingrid Black discovered what had happened and how she went about trying to find out more about the mysterious woman who had stolen her work.

Black Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

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Book Description

Seventeen-year-old Tessa, dubbed a ‘Black-Eyed Susan’ by the media, became famous for being the only victim to survive the vicious attack of a serial killer. Her testimony helped to put a dangerous criminal behind bars – or so she thought.

Now, decades later the black-eyed susans planted outside Tessa’s bedroom window seem to be a message from a killer who should be safely in prison.

Haunted by fragmented memories of the night she was attacked and terrified for her own teenage daughter’s safety, can Tessa uncover the truth about the killer before it’s too late?

It would be great if you could leave a comment on the books you have received this week, or have you read any of the books on my post? please feel free to let me know 

**WWW Wednesday**

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It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. You can find Sam HERE, and it’s a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

Blanket Of Blood by Eileen Wharton

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Book description

The gripping first novel in an explosive new crime series.

The body of a baby is found in the woods. But all is not as it seems…

A twisted serial killer is targeting young, pregnant girls.

Senior Investigating Officer, D.I. Gary Blood, must use all his powers of deduction to bring to justice the most sadistic murderer his force has ever seen. A killer unlike any he has hunted before. But Blood has problems of his own. Can he stop his private life interfering with the case?

To find the killer Blood needs to understand the motive. But this is a place full of secrets, where dark pasts lie buried.

Will Blood catch The Crochet Hook killer before it’s too late?

The truth is closer than you think.

I have only just started reading The Blanket Of Blood, but its certainly started off well and I’m intrigued by the story line

Print Length: 349 pages

Publisher: Bloodhound Books (1 April 2016)

Kindle

What did you recently finish reading?

Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott

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Book description

When your life is a lie, who can you trust?

When Maggie Taylor accepts a new job in Manchester, she is sure it is the right move for her family. The children have settled well although her husband, Duncan, doesn’t appear to be so convinced.

But nothing prepares her for the shock of coming home from work one night to find that Duncan has disappeared, leaving their young children alone. His phone is dead, and she has no idea where he has gone, or why. And then she discovers she’s not the only one looking for him.

When a woman who looks just like Maggie is brutally murdered and DCI Tom Douglas is brought in to investigate, Maggie realises how little she knows about Duncan’s past. Is he the man she loves? Who is he running from?

She doesn’t have long to decide whether to trust him or betray him. Because one thing has been made clear to Maggie – another woman will die soon, and it might be her.

Publisher: Black Dot Publishing (17 Feb. 2016)

Kindle

I loved this book and I’m a big fan of Rachel Abbott and she does not disappoint with this latest offering.  Great characters well plotted and full of surprises. My review to follow shortly

What do you think you’ll read next?

Daisy In Chains by Sharon Bolton


Book description

Hamish Wolfe is no different. Locked up for the rest of his life for the abduction and murder of three young women, he gets countless adoring letters every day. He’s handsome, charismatic and very persuasive. His admirers are convinced he’s innocent, and that he’s the man of their dreams.

Who would join such a club?

Maggie Rose is different. Reclusive and enigmatic; a successful lawyer and bestselling true-crime writer, she only takes on cases that she can win.

Hamish wants her as his lawyer, he wants her to change his fate. She thinks she’s immune to the charms of a man like this. But maybe not this time . . .
Publisher: Bantam Press (2 Jun. 2016)

Kindle

Please feel free to leave a comment about the books you are reading this week