Saturday, 30 November 2024

DEADLY GAMES


Deadly Games by Sally Rigby
Book 1 in the Cavendish & Walker series
Narrated by Clare Corbett
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


A killer is playing deadly games with local students… and the only prize is murder. Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker has worked hard to get where she is. A single mother, she joined the police force when she was eighteen and never looked back… until one wrong move put her in jeopardy of losing her job. So when a serial killer starts murdering female students at a nearby university, she knows this is it: her chance to stop a killer and redeem her career… or blow it and say goodbye to the job she loves.

Aided (and sometimes impeded) by Dr Georgina Cavendish, a lecturer who steps out of the isolated world of academia when one of her students is murdered, Walker soon arrests the obvious culprit. Everything seems to have worked out…

… until another girl is murdered while Cavendish and Walker’s prime suspect is still behind bars.

Now, Walker is being removed from the case, replaced by someone a bit more “suitable.” But when Cavendish persuades her to continue working the case, the two women join forces to discover the truth and solve the mystery behind the killings… before Walker’s own daughter becomes the next victim of a serial killer’s Deadly Games.
Source: Info in the "About Deadly Games" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44297767-deadly-games on 31/07/2023.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This is my second series by Sally Rigby. I wasn't too impressed by the first one that I stopped following the series by book two. This time around this series sounds promising.

There is a few moments in the story that I was not very convinced about. Like Walker's abrupt turn around about accepting help. It could happen, I guess. But the way the story was told, I was not convinced that Walker would do such abrupt 90 degrees. However, I am willfully ignoring it for the wonderful reading time I got with this book!

This is my first Clare Corbett audiobook listen and I would buy audiobooks by her again.


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 3.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (7 hrs and 3 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Cavendish & Walker Series:
Book 1: DEADLY GAMES Book 2: FATAL JUSTICE Book 3: DEATH TRACK Book 4: LETHAL SECRET Book 5: LAST BREATH Book 6: FINAL VERDICT Book 7: RITUAL DEMISE Book 8: MORTAL REMAINS Book 9: SILENT GRAVES Book 10: KILL SHOT Book 11: DARK SECRET Book 12: BROKEN SCREAMS Book 13: DEATH'S SHADOW


 
Meet The Author

About Sally Rigby:
Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, UK. After leaving university she worked in magazines and radio, before finally embarking on a career lecturing in both further and higher education. Sally has always had the travel bug and after living in Manchester and London moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand (apart from five years in Australia), which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world.

Sally is the author of the acclaimed Cavendish and Walker series, and the more recent Detective Sebastian Clifford series. In collaboration with another author, she also writes psychological thrillers for Boldwood Books.

Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes. She has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.


The Narrator

About Clare Corbett:
Clare Corbett has appeared in television shows such as Casualty, Eastenders and Doctors, as well as numerous radio plays and video games. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actor/Actress in the BBC Audio Drama Awards, and is a winner of the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Radio Award.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Monday, 25 November 2024

SOUTHPAW


Southpaw by JD Kirk
Book 2 in the Robert Hoon Thriller series
Narrated by Angus King
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


About Southpaw:
Ex-Police Scotland detective, Bob Hoon, has made himself some powerful enemies.

Following his brutal search for the missing daughter of an old army colleague, Hoon is being hunted by the Loop, a secretive criminal cabal with members in very high places and a tendency to eliminate all those who stand against it.

Unfortunately for them, Hoon has never been one to back down from a fight, and he isn’t about to start now. Instead, he’s going to burn their whole damn organisation to the ground.

But first, he’s going to have to get inside.

He may be a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking psychopath with a death wish, but Bob Hoon is about to do something he hasn’t done in years.

He’s going undercover.
Source: Info in the "About Southpaw" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60155307-southpaw on 17/09/2023.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


Hoon
My Thoughts:
The author said that he envisions Bob Hoon as somebody like Graham McTavish. So Graham McTavish it is!

This is the first series that I've read of this author. Of course, by now, I know he also have other books, like the DCI Jack Logan thrillers, which is an even older series than this. I just hope that I didn't miss anything by reading the Bob Hoon thrillers first instead of reading the Jack Logan one instead.

This book has the same masterful story telling quality, beautiful world building, relateable characters, and wonderful story that the first book had. I am now a Bob Hoon die-hard fan!


I like the way Angus King gives Hoon a gravely voice! Kudos to the narration!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (12 hrs and 31 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Robert Hoon Thriller Series:
Book 1: NORTHWIND Book 2: SOUTHPAW Book 3: WESTWARD Book 4: EASTGATE Book 5: STATESIDE Book 6: (TBC)


 
Meet The Author

About JD Kirk:
JD Kirk is the pen name of multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and writer of comics, Barry Hutchison.

JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.


The Narrator

About Angus King:
#Actor #Audiobook narrator including Booker Prize Winner 2020 #Shuggiebain.

Angus King is a Scottish actor based in London & Glasgow. He trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and works regularly on television, Motion Capture and the West End and his voice can be heard in audiobooks, political campaigns, radio drama, corporate videos, computer games, ADR and much more.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.