Down to the Woods by M.J. Arlidge (Helen Grace #8)

Synopsis:

There is a sickness in the forest. First, it was the wild horses. Now it's innocent men and women, hunted down and murdered by a faceless figure. Lost in the darkness, they try to flee, they try to hide. In desperation, they call out for help. But there is no-one to hear their cries here...

DI Helen Grace must face down a new nightmare. The arrow-ridden victims hang from the New Forest's ancient oaks, like pieces of strange fruit. Why are helpless holidaymakers being targeted in peak camping season? And what do their murders signify? Is a psychopath stalking the forest? Is there an occult element to the killings? Could the murders even be an offering to the Forest itself? Helen must walk into the darkness to discover the truth behind her most challenging, most macabre case yet.

My review:

Another cracker in this fabulous series. Helen Grace and Charlie Brooks are back with a new DC in their team (the handsome and slightly mysterious Joseph Hudson) and they have another horrific case on their hands.

This time there is a murdered on the loose within the darkness of the New Forest, his victims left out to be found in a staging that just doesn’t make sense. Well at least for a while. Helen and Charlie race against time to ensure the safety of all holiday campers, but the murdered always seems to be one step ahead of them.

Help comes from an unexpected direction this time and people’s dislike for another has to be put aside. This is a brilliant case, set in the beautiful forest (which slightly puts me of camping there!). It’s a proper leaving-you-on-the-edge book and one that you just have to keep reading to find out the truth.

Even though this is the eights book in this series, the author never seems to lose that spark the books need to keep the reader engaged. Well played!

Massive thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley.

My rating: 5/5

Available to purchase from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Scavenger Girl: Season of Hytalia by Jennifer Arntson (Scavenger Girl #3)

Synopsis:

Una feels herself changing and for good reason. With new blood and new life comes new responsibility. Against Una’s warnings, Calish takes matters into his own hands. In a desperate act to protect the woman he loves, he makes an irrevocable agreement with the one person in Ashlund he should avoid. But when the promises given to Calish seem to turn against him, Una finds refuge in an unlikely place. All traditions and social status are turned upside down in the blink of an eye and suddenly birthright doesn’t matter so much. There is a secret hidden in the hills, and the rains of Hytalia are not the only storms that Una will be forced to face. 

My review:

Third part of the amazing Scavenger Girl series and once again reader will not be dissapointed.

Una comes home after her imprisonment with a secret she cannot hide from her family for long, especially her healer mother. She suffers flashbacks, visions and nightmares and although she should be happy to be with her own kind, she knows the peace won't last for long. Blue is still determined to own Una in any was possible.

Her own feelings for Calish are putting them both in difficult situation and danger and they both must face decision that will shape the future for the whole family.

This third book was sort of a turning point. I felt like Una and Calish have grown up become adults with real live responsibilities, unlike Blue, who is still a little boy throwing toys out of his pram and making life difficult for himself and everyone around him.

I really enjoyed learning about the resistance and Una and Nik's relationship and their journey together as the seers of the camp.

I cannot wait for the next book and again this is another one I think Netfilx should make into a fab TV series.

Well done Jennifer and please keep writing!

My rating: 5/5

Available to purchase from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Broken Dolls (DC Charlotte Stafford #4) by Sarah Flint

Synopsis:

A baby lies abandoned amongst the rubbish; her tiny face as white as alabaster, her body as stiff as a miniature doll. 

A young prostitute lies beaten, her figure lying like a mannequin on the frozen concrete, her blood spilt, her life ebbing away.

As DC 'Charlie' Stafford and her boss DI Hunter struggle to identify the victim from the violator their hunt brings them to the crack houses of Lambeth, littered with damaged people, their lives scarred by tragedy and violence, most broken beyond repair.

As further lives hang in the balance Charlie must enpower the weak to speak out against those who seek to cause harm. But can a broken doll ever truly be mended; or will the wounds of the past, fashion the events of the future?

My review:

Another brilliant installment in the DC Charlotte Stafford series. This time looking at human trafficking and the many ugly faces of drugs and prostitution. I really want this series to get televised, this would make a perfect on screen drama - there is the human value, the suspension, the unknown killer - the series has it all.

It's also great seeing Charlie in her personal life and how her relationship with her own family and the handsome Ben are developing since book one.

I highly recommend this series for any crime book lover. This is a fab series to get you teeth into - now translated into many languages and available in paperback.

My rating: 5/5

Available to purchase from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US