Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton 343 pages

Several women are killed and Hamish Wolfe, a young and handsome doctor is convicted of the crimes and sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Hamish swears a blue streak he is an innocent man. And sometimes you believe him and sometimes not. Maggie Rose is a true crime writer and an attorney notorious for getting serial killers released independent of guilt, or innocence. She only cares that the conviction was just. Or at least that’s how it seems.  And Detective Constable Pete Weston is the officer who arrested Wolfe and gained a promotion because of it. So maybe he’s just concerned because he has a vested interest in protecting his conviction. Hard to tell.

All three characters are entangled in a web of lies, secrets and their own agendas. Along with several just as intriguing supporting characters, Daisy in Chains is an atmospheric, fast paced, psychological mystery that will entertain from the first page to the last. Seriously good read!

Waiting For Wednesday by Nicci French 372 pages

Waiting for Wednesday is the third book in the Frieda Klein series by husband and wife writing team Nicci Gerard and Sean French. Frieda is a psychotherapist who sometimes works with the police to solve crimes. In this installment Ruth Lennox, wife and mother of three is found murdered in her own home. The ensuing investigation reveals that Ruth was leading a secret life, the unveiling of which, throws her emotionally wounded children into Frieda’s life and home. Simultaneously, a chance remark sends Frieda on a separate investigation where she meets up with a retired journalist working on a series of missing girl reports.

I read the previous two books in one sitting but this one took a moment to get into. Way too much going on, and Frieda seemed to be losing her mind, although to be fair she was nearly killed in Tuesday’s Gone by a psycho first introduced in Blue Monday—you really need to read these in order—but eventually I got to the can’t-put-it-down stage. I can’t wait until Thursday to find out what happens next. 

Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes 438 pages

 Annabel doesn’t have much of a life. She is a police analyst, she lives alone but for her cat, she has no friends and she takes care of her aging mother. When she discovers her neighbors decomposing body in the house next door and realizes that nobody even missed her she begins an investigation to determine how many people actually die alone and forgotten. She is appalled at the inordinate amount she discovers in her town. Using her skills as an analyst she discovers a pattern and realizes that something is not quite right.

Human Remains alternates between Annabel’s narration and the actual killer’s although I’m not quite sure you can call him a killer since the victim’s all commit suicide. But he does play a part.

This is another case of choosing a book based on an author’s previous work and while it had an unusual and original premise it didn’t quite measure up to her earlier work. Too many bodies probably.

Good People by Ewart Hutton 326 pages

DS Glyn Capaldi is banished to the backwoods of rural Wales after he messes up a big case and a man dies. Determined to work his way back he decides to investigate what he deems a suspicious occurrence although he seems to be the only one who thinks so. Six men and a female hitchhiker disappear in the woods after a night of gaming and drinking and only five come back. And while everyone else—including the police is satisfied with the ridiculous explanation they give, Capaldi isn’t. As he delves deeper into the mystery he finds he is very much the outsider and neither the townspeople nor the police want anything to do with him.

While this book is well written and Capaldi is an extremely likeable character the story itself leaves a lot to be desired. It’s hard to believe the police would overlook the heinous nature of the crimes that were committed simply because they’ve known the suspects all their lives. Even his superiors forego their support and every battle is an uphill climb for Capaldi. Despite this I was engaged throughout the story until I reached the end and then it just fell off.

Good People is the first in a series starring DS Capaldi. I’m pretty sure I’ll read the second installment but I’m hoping the author will iron out the wrinkles before then.

Under Your Skin by Sabine Durrant 295 pages

Gaby Mortimer has the perfect life. She’s a talk show host of a popular morning show, owns a beautiful home, has a maid and a nanny too, a handsome husband, and a beautiful child.  And then one early predawn morning while out for her daily jog she discovers the body of a young woman left in a wooded copse and everything goes downhill from there. Fast. Gaby is eventually arrested for the crime, she loses her job, is hounded by the media. At first you don’t really care. She’s not the most likeable character with her self-deprecation, her middle class snobbishness, the passive way she seems to go through life. But there are more obvious suspects and when Gaby teams up with a journalist to investigate what really happened you find yourself rooting for her.

Under Your Skin is a fast paced, beautifully written thriller that has lots of twists and turns and a heck of a surprise ending. Excellent read!

Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo 368 pages

Harry Hole is sent to Bangkok to cover up the fact that the ambassador to Thailand has been found murdered in a brothel. But the powers to be really should have known better. Harry doesn’t care what secrets are revealed, or if governments topple or if the people in authority including his bosses get called on the carpet. All he cares about is getting justice for the victim and his booze on. Although to be fair Harry makes a real effort to cut back and even quit although he fights constant temptation as he searches for clues that lead him through the red light district with its seedy bars, opium dens, and drug dealers.

This is the second book in the Harry Hole series and proof that Jo Nesbo only gets better and better with each book. And even though his first two books don’t hold a candle to the later ones it was nice to meet the younger, not quite as jaded Harry and get a feeling for why he’s such a tortured being.

You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz 438 pages

Grace Sachs is blissfully married to the man of her dreams, devoted to her son Henry and has a thriving therapist practice. She is about to have a book published entitled “You Should Have Known” where she tells women had they heeded their first impressions, interactions and gut feelings with their partners they would have known he was a cheater, or a prolific spender, or a wastrel right from the beginning thus saving themselves from the pain and heartache that naturally follows. And then one day a tragedy occurs, her husband disappears, the police are at her door and  life as she knew it irrevocably  comes to an end in the most public and humiliating way possible. Too late she realizes she should have taken her own advice.

Beautifully written, perfectly paced, You Should Have Known is a must read, a can’t put it down, don’t want it to end kind of a book.

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo 277 pages

Gone Missing is the fourth installment in the Kate Burkholder series. Kate is the Chief of Police in the small, mostly Amish town of Painters Mill OH. When BCI Agent John Tomasetti calls and asks her to consult on a missing Amish teen case in a neighboring town (Kate is ex Amish) they find links to other cold cases dating back several years. Things get a bit tricky though when a body is found and then another teen –this one really close to home goes missing as well.

This is a well written, edge of your seat, lots of plot twists and turns kind of a series. The only thing I don’t like about them is the horrendous and detailed nature of the crimes that are committed.