This Little Piggy by Bea Davenport

REVIEW
This is a psychological thriller beyond belief!

In 1984, the coal miners of Britain went on a strike that eventually would take two to three generations to recover from.

Clare Jackson is a reporter who missed a promotion due to personal reasons and had to recover from both events happening simultaneously while being sent on an investigation into the death of a nine month old baby, Jamie, on the housing estate where many of the miners resided.

She is a reporter for a local newspaper in the North East of Britain and basically acted as a one-man-band who never stopped for anything, as long as she could prove that she was the better choice for the promotion and shame her bosses.

She meets Amy, a little girl in the dilapidated flats, who had many stories to tell, some were fact and some fiction, and could not share everything she knew with the people around her. Nobody wanted to believe her.

Amy's situation spurred Clare on to become more than just a reporter. She instinctively wanted to protect and nurture the little girl despite warnings from her friends to stay away and stop her unprofessional attachment to 'a story'. But Clare was convinced that she could help Amy to become the adult she would like to be. She did not want to disappoint a little girl who had nobody else to take her hand and believe in her. 

Clare became Amy's first real friend; a person she could trust. With Clare, being in the emotional state she was, combined with the psychological connection she felt she had with Amy, events started very soon to spiral out of total control for everyone involved. Clare related to Amy's situation. She was another statistic in the same column of history than Amy. She is an older version. She simply understood. 

With her own unresolved issues influencing her actions, Clare tried to cover the human story of the baby, while also reporting on the situation behind the picket line where miners and police were increasingly moving into a volatile situation.

While being a walk down memory lane for us who remembered the strikes and its profound aftermath, this book also exposed human behavioral patterns which are not only possible, but scary as hell.

This is the second book I read of the author. The first one was 
In Too Deep .

Both books have the same theme of little girls who were ostricised, rejected, socially isolated by their peer groups for different reasons. The effect it had on them manifested itself in their later relationships and actions.

I was so impressed with Bea Davenport's first novel, that I recommended it to many many people who love this genre. It is still one of the best books in this stable that I have read. This Little Piggy, with its powerful plot; various strong support characters; constant, relentless, and never-ending suspense; detailed and vicious psychosomatic, as well as somatopsychic undercurrent, is a brilliant second try for a seasoned journalist in her own right. It is just as much a strong historical fiction-candidate as it is a psychological thriller

My goodness, what a story! It was simply brilliant.

The review copy was provided by Legend Press via Netgalley. THANK YOU for this wonderful opportunity.

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BOOK BLURB
It’s the summer of 1984 and there is a sense of unease on the troubled Sweetmeadows estate. The residents are in shock after the suspicious death of a baby and tension is growing due to the ongoing miners’ strike. Journalist Clare Jackson follows the story as police botch the inquiry and struggle to contain the escalating violence. Haunted by a personal trauma she can’t face up to, Clare is shadowed by nine-year-old Amy, a bright but neglected little girl who seems to know more about the incident than she’s letting on. As the days go on and the killer is not found, Clare ignores warnings not to get too close to her stories and in doing so, puts her own life in jeopardy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Goodreads bio): 

Bea Davenport is the writing name of former print and broadcast journalist Barbara Henderson.Her first crime/suspense novel, In Too Deep, was a runner-up in the Luke Bitmead Bursary and is published by Legend Press on 1st June 2013. Bea spent many years as a newspaper reporter and latterly seventeen years as a senior broadcast journalist with the BBC in the north-east of England. She has a Creative Writing PhD from Newcastle University where she studied under the supervision of award-winning writer Jackie Kay and renowned literature expert Professor Kim Reynolds. The children's novel produced as part of the PhD, The Serpent House, was shortlisted for the 2010 Times/Chicken House Award and Bea has also won several prizes for short stories. Originally from Tyneside, she lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed with her partner and children. 

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BOOK INFORMATION
Genres: Psychological drama, Historical fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Murder Mystery

Judgment (A Cassidy & Spenser Thriller) by Carey Baldwin

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MY REVIEW

I can either do a clinical review or write down what I feel at this very moment. Oh, let me do both and get it over with.

Let's start with the emotional reaction. It scared the DNA out of my family tree. It had me jumping out of my own skin into another personality type. It had all the juices in my body curdling in my ear drums. It made my petrous bone shudder and shake. I almost did not make it, honest to God.

If you know Dr.Kay Scarpetta in Patricia Cornwell's psychological thrillers, and you loved it, this is the book for you! Be my guest. Enjoy!

As I explained my reaction to the Scarpetta series, to a friend on Goodreads, I almost did not make it that time either. The difference between now and then is, that I read those books during the night, never slept a wink, locked all the doors, locked hubsters out, taped the windows closed, insisted on the guard dogs sleeping on my bed, check the cats'nails, instructed them to attack anyone trying to open my bedroom door, and curled up in terror until all three books were finished. 

When I started this book last night I was too tired to continue reading, so I sneaked it into my office day this morning after starting with it around five already! Thank goodness I did not continue last night.

I am not trying to be funny, but if you want to laugh do so and then read the book yourself! Then it will be my turn to holler and howl and I won't feel bad at all for doing just that! I am still shaking.

But nevermind, let's get to the clinical part now.

Dr. Caity Cassidy's father, Thomas, was convicted and executed for the brutal rape and murder of Gail Falconer, fifteen years ago. Caitey attended his execution and pledged to herself that she will get behind the truth. She thought he was innocent. Obviously, the Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona did not think so. The only man to support her at the event was her father's lawyer, Harvey Baumgartner (Tree gardener in English). He handled her father's case pro bono. They were friends from church - her father's best friend in the end. She was eighteen years old at the time. The event inspired her to climb into the mind of killers, which resulted in her PHD. She became a forensic psychiatrist profiling these mad people. She wanted to prove that her father did not have the psychological make-up to do it. She employed private investigators with no success.

Harvey Baumgarten requested her services for one of his clients, Judd Kramer, in a case against the latter. While consulting in court, a killer walked in and shot everyone. There were four victims. Kramer and his deputy escort-- shot just outside the courthouse, with Baumgartner and Dr. Caitey Cassidy --shot inside. Judd Kramer survived. She barely survived herself. Only because her four year long rival, FBI Special Agent Atticus Spenser (named after Atticus Finch, the hero in To Kill a Mockingbird), saved her life. They’d been on opposite sides of a contentious case more than once. And there was also that personal incident a few years back . . . but fortunately no one knew about that little gem of a disaster except Spense and her.

They had no other choice but to work together on this case. Caitey's ordeal was not over, as they soon found out. The killer did not target her by accident. There was to be a second round and she needed protection. Spencer offered it. She had to move in with him.

He baffled her. One thing she noticed was that he always had a miniature Rubik’s cube, attached to a keychain, in his pocket. He often pulled it out, scrambled it, solved it, and shoved it back in his pants pocket, all in less than a minute. He also knew how to prepare kung pao tofu with edamame,dowsed in a spicy peanut sauce. This man was not only soft on the retinas, he was also multi-talented. Behind his Old Spice must be a story too.

But that just for interest's sake. What really happened after the shootings rocked their world. As in totally. 

Judd Kramer died in hospital, along with the pharmacist. More young women ended up dead. Caitey was now confronted with first the death of Gail Falconer, and now Sally Cartwright, Darlene Dillinger and Annie Bayberry.

Fast moving, thrilling, captivating, entertaining, scary, brilliant! A tale marked by all the elements of a psychological thriller par excellence.

The only rattling bone in my scull is the acronyms and abbreviations that was spread all over the text. I gave up in trying to find them all on the internet. "DETECTIVE RILEY BASKIN paced the precinct lunchroom with a PB and J gripped in his hand" Oy! I thought it was a high caliber murder weapon and was diving for cover, until I peaked through my fingers and realized he was eating it. I could only wish him luck until this moment, because I still don't know what it is!

So yes, let me admit it. I LOVED THIS BOOK !!!

This book is a Witness Impulse, HarperCollins Publication, provided through edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com. for review. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

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BOOK BLURB

Carey Baldwin, author of the thrilling novel, Confession, returns with a new story featuring two of her most beloved characters. Fans of dark psychological suspense will devour this riveting story of rivals caught in a killer’s twisted web.

When a coed falls prey to a sadistic killer, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy and Special Agent Atticus Spenser are called in to testify—one for the defense, one for the prosecution. With warring approaches on justice, these two rivals have been butting heads for years—both in the courtroom and out. And at first, this case appears to be no different.

But when a brutal attack leaves the accused man dead and Caity in critical condition, petty differences take a backseat to saving lives. As the lone survivor, Caity knows too much and the killer—a madman calling himself the Man in the Maze—is coming back for round two. Now, Caity and Spense must join forces to uncover the killer’s identity before Caity’s time—and luck—runs out.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In real life I'm a mild-mannered brunette. A very nice doctor who happens to write edgy romantic thrillers.

Oh, and before I became a doctor, I used to be a clinical psychologist. I guess that's why writing about psychopaths comes naturally. I still haven't decided precisely what I want to be when I grow up, so you can expect to see me serving up a genre mix. 

Here's my favorite recipe: 
A dollop of romance + a dash of medicine + a cup of crazy. Fold into a story. Bake until it rises, and voila, you've cooked up a delicious thriller!

***

Carey Baldwin is a mild-mannered physician (still practicing full time ) by day and the author or edgy suspense by night. She holds two doctoral degrees, one in medicine and one in psychology. She lives in the southwestern United States with her amazing family and in her spare time loves to chase wildflowers. 

http://www.careybaldwin.com/
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BOOK INFORMATION

Genres: Psychological thriller, murder mystery
Formats: Paperback | Kindle |
Number of pages: 336
Edition language: English
Publishers: Witness Impulse
Publication date: October 7th, 2014
ASIN: B00HLIYVPE
Purchase links: Amazon USA | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble
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Walker on the Cape by Mike Martin

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REVIEW
In the quiet, laid-back fishing village of Grand Bank, southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada, a foggy morning becomes more than just another day when Mavis Emberley's soup burnt on the stove. 

People along the coastline in Grand Bank could set their clocks by Elias Martin. Every morning, even when the fog floated in from Fortune, they saw his hunched figure climb and disappear in the mist that ran the shoreline like a rum runner. You could put a pot of soup on to boil when he set out and be sure that when he appeared again that the potatoes, carrots, and turnips would be soft and sweet.

Mavis Emberly was one such soup-maker who relied on Elias Martin to set the pace for her weekly batch of pea soup. 

“There he goes,” she remarked to her husband, Francis, "Time to put the soup on”. 

An hour and a half later Francis Emberly muttered, “Something’s burning in that kitchen, maid.” Mrs. Emberly ran to the kitchen to turn off her black bottomed soup with a smattering of non-religious but surely immoral curses and immediately realized that something else was wrong besides her spoiled soup. Elias hadn't returned. "Or else I missed him," she decided.

The point is: Seventy-two year old Elias Martin was dead. 

Every morning for the past eleven years Elias Martin had his breakfast of hot porridge and thick molasses bread smothered in partridgeberry jam. Then, rain or shine, he began his solitary walk from his small blue house on Elizabeth Avenue in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, down through the Cove, and until the winter snow made it impassable, up over the hills to the Cape.

Two tourists found his body up on the hill. Heart attack, it was declared at first, and soon the town began to simmer with stories boiling over in Mug-Up Café, the restaurant of Sheila Hillier.

The only one who knew for sure was Elias Martin and he sure wasn’t talking. Who would finally unravel the mystery of the Walker on the Cape?

Thirty-two year old Sergeant Winston Windflower, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a full-blooded Cree from the Pink Lake Reserve in Northern Alberta, thought Elias's death was suspect and he planned to get to the bottom of the simmering, boiling pot. For once there was more to work on than the petty crimes and motor accidents in the village. And as an incomer, he still had to prove himself after being there for only one year. But what to do when there were always secrets to protect in a small community like this?

He had his vice too, he did.

Some men smoke, drink or chase women as their vice. Windflower's was peanut butter cheesecake.

With the shocking death of Elias, the peas in the pot of Grand Bank got names:
Marge and Harvey Brenton - affluent members of society; Harvey's pay roll included a few people from the justice and political systems, it seemed;
Mayor Francis Tibbo; who wanted rules to be applied, excluding his own family;
Roger Buffet - with a history still to be discovered;
James Sheridan, and his mother Georgette who had more than just a sentimental bond with Grand Bank; 
Howard Stoodley, a retired Crown Attorney;
Sheila Hillier - more than just an excellent cook in her café;
Constable Eddie Tizzard - the everyday tornado, the gale-force wind around town;
Dr. Vinjay Sanjay - Winston's  chess and Scotch partner, coroner and medical doctor;
Staff Sergeant William Ford; a new friend in the making;
Inspector MacIntoch of Marystown - the boss;
Kevin Arsenault - Acting inspector;

And then there was the Poison of Kings and the King of Poisons, and some rotten fish in Newfoundland, and cops with dirty hands in the chain of command ... files disappear, investigations are mysteriously stopped, the plot thickens!

This is a skillful, interesting, relaxing, as well as an entertaining first novel by Mike Martin. The endearing characters soon become the reader's friends as well, and the Canadian cuisine makes a splashing entreé into the p(l)ot. Never a dull meal for those readers living outside of Newfoundland, Canada!

As the first book in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, the introduction to this fishing village is well-plotted and fast paced. It is not a mysterious read, but rather a day to day reflection on the inhabitants's lives as the plot unfolds in clear-cut prose.

The presentation of Grand Bank and its inhabitants leaves the reader with just one mission, and that is to read the two other books as well. 
The Body on the T - #2
Beneath the Surface -#3

It is a guaranteed pleasant, relaxing experience throughout.
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BOOK BLURB 
From the Back Cover
"The Walker on the Cape offers some foxily constructed plotting, a winning sleuth figure and an air of charming cheerfulness." - The Toronto Star

"It¹s fun to read a mystery like this. The setting is nicely realized, the characters have some weight, and the details are telling, like the fog with a mind of its own." - The Telegram

"The Walker on the Cape is worth picking up. It is a good read and Sergeant Windflower and Constable Eddie Tizzard are well drawn characters. It will be interesting to see how they and other characters develop in the next book." - The Mystery Site

Writers try like Dickens to open their stories with a hook, some tasty bait to catch and hold the reader's attention. Martin hooked me in the first paragraph with a description of Elias' breakfast of, along with porridge, "thick molasses bread smothered in partridge berry jam." - The Clarenville Packet

Mike Martin has thought through his plot and provided a mixture of motives and suspects to keep it moving forward. And, he's done his homework when it comes to RCMP procedure. He has a lot of room to grow his characters which should make the second book (I'm assuming and hoping it's a series) well worth looking for."

MysteryMaven.Com
A man's body is found on the Cape in a small fishing community on the East Coast. At first everyone thinks it's a heart attack or stroke. But then it is discovered that he was poisoned. Who would do this and why? Finding that out falls to Sergeant Winston Windflower of the RCMP along with his trusted side-kick Eddie Tizzard.  Along the way they discover that there are many more secrets hidden in this small community and powerful people who want to keep it that way.


Windflower also discovers two more things; a love of living in a small community that is completely different from his up-bringing in a remote Indian reserve and maybe the love of his life. He gets a taste of East Coast food and hospitality as well as a sense of how crime and corruption can linger beneath the surface or hide in the thick blanket of fog that sometimes creeps in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. 

The Walker on the Cape is the first book in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, followed by The Body on the T, and then Beneath the Surface.

He is the author of "Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People" and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine. The Walker on the Cape is his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Winston Windflower mystery series. He is a member of Ottawa Independent Writers, Capital Crime Writers, the Crime Writers of Canada and the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild. For more information and to comment on this book please visit: www.walkeronthecape.com

INFO SOURCE: Mike Martin (2012-11-01T0). The Walker on the Cape 
For more information, visit THE AUTHORS WEBSITE.

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BOOK INFORMATIONGenre: Murder mystery, Community drama, Canadian author, Newfoundland, Mike Martin, 
Formats: Paperback( 243 pages), Kindle , Nook
Published: November 01, 2012
Publishers: Booklocker.com | Baico Publishing
Edition language: English
ASIN: B00A95U6JQ 
PRINT ISBN: 1621418499
Purchase links: Amazon USA | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble |Chapters.indigo | Booklocker

Beneath the Surface by Mike Martin (Sgt. Windflower Mysteries #3)

REVIEW
'Beneath the Surface' is the third book in the Sergeant Windflower series. The previous two books are 'The Walker on the Cape' and 'The Body on the T'.

We're back in Grand Bank, southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

RCMP Sergeant Winston Windflower, his girlfriend, Sheila Hilliard, Corporal Eddie Tizzard, Herb Stoodley - former Crown Attorney with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Detective-Sergeant Carl Langmead from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Doctor Sanjay and the rest of the fishing town are back and welcoming the readers to their little piece of heaven on earth. The culinary delights of the Canadian tables, the history of the ethnic scramble of nations, and the cultural pot pourri of diversity is celebrated once again. Life is simply better than good in this part of the world. 

However, everything changes when this quiet, serene community is shaken up by the murder of Amy Parsons, a champion rower in the Women's Championship Race at the St. John's Regatta. And suddenly nothing seems to make sense anymore. What was the purpose of the Chinese tourists, led by a Russian tour guide earlier in the year? The discovery of a pink mobile phone with the numbers of prominent public officials including a judge and a Member of the House of Assembly, and senior police officers from both the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary are kept a secret. Possible exposure will have several heads rolling; people are nervous; and sergeant Windflower is center to all the mayhem which secretly rages through the inner circle of power and privilege. Loyalty and friendships are tested. Yes, some powerful people are looking to bury this stuff deeper than the mines on Bell Island and sergeant Windflower's sense of fairness is in the way.

Through it all, Windflower is bombarded with weird dreams, which only his uncle Frank, a dream weaver, can interpret. A new world of voices from the past opens up for Windflower.

A slow, undramatic, yet 'buzzy' read. There is an element of the journal-writing style used in the narrative which places the book in a unique genre of its own. It is as much a community story as it is a detective, murder mystery; just as much a love story as it is a celebration of Canadian customs and cultures, a travel journal. Informative, yes. A gentle, dignified approach to serious issues. The combination of all these elements ensures that the community of Grand Bank won't be forgotten. I loved the opportunity to be back and enjoying their company again. This book is the next best thing to living there!

 Walker On The Cape - a Winston Windflower Mystery #1
 The Body On The T   - a Winston Windflower Mystery #2
 Beneath the Surface - a Winston Windflower Mystery #3

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BOOK BLURB
Sgt. Windflower is back and as usual he’s loving life on the east coast. He may be a long way from his home in Northern Alberta but he has been adopted by the locals as almost one of their own. He has a good life, good work with the RCMP, and a good woman that he has grown closer too in his years on the southeast coast of Newfoundland. But trouble is brewing just beneath the surface of this calm and charm-filled existence.

It begins with the discovery of a dead girl’s body in St. John’s, the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador. The girl is from Grand Bank where Windflower has been stationed for the last few years. Sgt. Windflower and his associate Corporal Eddie Tizzard are pulled further and further into the case. The situation also grows to include a whole array of criminal activities from human trafficking and even the Russian Mafia.

Along the way Windflower not only has to deal with this crime wave operating all around the region, but with some challenges in his own life. He has to go back to his Aboriginal roots to find the answers to some very deep and disturbing questions. But nothing seems to bother his appetite and joy for life, especially his appetite. He continues to sample traditional Newfoundland dishes like fish and brewis but he also expands to include pan-fried sea trout and baked salmon, along with a range of desserts from blueberry buckle to his all-time favourite, peanut butter cheese cake.


His faith in the police force that has become his life is also threatened by a series of events that he becomes aware of that are certainly immoral if not even illegal. He is forced to face not only his own personal demons but those in real life that are lurking all around us. Sometime they are right in front of our face, but at other times they are hiding deep beneath the surface. Waiting to be resolved.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. 

The Walker on the Cape is the first book in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, followed by The Body on the T, and then Beneath the Surface.

He is the author of "Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People" and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine. The Walker on the Cape is his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Winston Windflower mystery series. He is a member of Ottawa Independent Writers, Capital Crime Writers, the Crime Writers of Canada and the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild. For more information and to comment on this book please visit: www.walkeronthecape.com

INFO SOURCE: Mike Martin (2012-11-01T0). The Walker on the Cape 
For more information, visit THE AUTHORS WEBSITE.
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BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Murder mystery, community, Canadian author, NewfoundlandFormats: Paperback( 456 pages), Kindle (291 pages)
Published: April 15, 2014
Publishers: Booklocker.com | Baico Publishing
Edition language: English
EBOOK ISBN: 9781632631930  
PRINT ISBN: 9781632631138
Purchase links: Amazon USA | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Chapters.indigo | Booklocker