Monthly Archives: December 2025

A Winter’s Tail by Frank Westworth

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Today I’m reviewing A Winter’s Tail from Frank Westworth, a Killing Sisters Story.

Here’s the burb

Chastity Weise once killed people for a living. Some of those kills were government sanctioned. Other men were murdered to balance the scales of justice. Sometimes, her kills were a last act of charity. Back then, Chastity seduced, corrupted and overwhelmed her targets.
These days, she’s trying to keep the body count under control and earn a semi-honest living in the personal security business. But while she watches from the shadows, a murderous mystery unfolds and a trap is sprung. The ghosts of her past might be Chastity’s only hope for survival…

A slow-burn blend of hardboiled banter and knife-edge jeopardy. Recommended for readers who enjoy books by Mick Herron, Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich.

A Winter’s Tail is a self-contained novella which features characters from the Killing Sisters crime-thriller novels and the JJ Stoner short stories. It follows The Redemption Of Charm and picks up a couple of years after the events which took place in the Killing Sisters trilogy. With an agile imagination, A Winter’s Tail can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story without reading the other books. Live dangerously!

Review.

It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had a new story from Frank Westworth but he’s back with a corker of a tale!

Chastity is trying to make a career out of her god given talents.. she kills people.. and she’s bloody good at it… Chastity likes to right wrongs.. punish those who think they are untouchable..

Now don’t get me wrong, Chastity loves a good kill but her talents are more than just that, she’s clever, can easily track people down, gain evidence and such… and it’s one one such job when things go a little sideways…

Someone is shot…and Chastity becomes suspect number one.. but she didn’t do it.. who saw her there? things just seem off.

The trouble is Chastity is a bit of a lost soul now without her sisters and the brooding talents of JJ Stoner to aid her.. she’s on her own….or is she??

There’s a wonderful blast from the past coming to bring their holy guidance to Chastity..this is just what she needed.. someone to help her see the wood for the trees, to see what stinks with this whole mission..

It’s a great reintroduction to Chastity and in the typical style of Frank Westworth it’s not about the word count..his writing is short, sharp, abrasive and cutting.. it gets to the blunt point just like the characters portrayed.

What I really love about these short stories from the author is the words the story doesn’t say, the reader given the chance to imagine, to remember, but with enough depth and development that allows the tale to flow solidly.

I’m always left wanting more. If you want to read this as a standalone I’d say it’s a 4* as you’ll not fully understand the characters, the dark humour.. which for me is a big thing with these stories..for fans of the series though it’s an easy 5* addition.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

The Game by Danny Dagan

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Today I’m reviewing The Game by Dann Dagan, here’s the blurb

Five heirs. One island. A deadly game. A group of billionaires face the ultimate reckoning in this twisty psychological thriller.
When the adult children of five billionaires are abducted by a shadowy group, their parents face an unthinkable ultimatum: pay the highest price or lose their loved ones forever. But as fortunes crumble and alliances fracture, secrets rise to the surface.
On a remote island prison, the hostages are pushed to their limits while the manipulative mastermind pulls the strings. Time is running out, and the stakes are higher than anyone could have imagined.
How far would you go to save your child? What is the price you’d be willing to pay?

Review

This book was recommended to me by my daughter after she heard about it on a school trip to Holy Island.. she thought it looked like something I’d like and damn she was spot on!

When five adult children are abducted, their well off families gather expecting a ransom demand.. the thing is the demands aren’t exactly the typical request.. these kidnappers want to play a game.. it’s now a competition to see which parents will do the most for their child..

Alex Czerniak is hired with their team to help locate the children but things are much more complex all too soon as each parent is pitted against the others.. win the competition and you’ll she your child again..loose and they will be gone forever.

We switch between perspectives as we see events through the hostages eyes too, where they are treated well enough on a isolated island but it’s all a bit of a phycological mind bashing where we explore their lives, and how they got here.. the relationships they have with each other and with their parents..

This is where the super clever twists are thrown in… I’m not sure anyone is 100% the person they claim to be.. everyone seems to have a secret you just don’t know the motives behind hiding the truth.. some are more devious than others..

I felt the kidnappers were probably the best part of the story.. the physiological torture they put everyone under..forcing their hands.. forcing them to give up everything for them to give to those more deserving..its not just money either.. it forces them to bare all.. confront the truth they hide from.. to find out who they really are.

The pace is steady and while the book changes perspectives it’s written in a easy flowing style meaning you are never lost, or bored.. I felt the changing perspectives is what makes it even more gripping as it builds the suspense.

Very enjoyable, will definitely see what the author comes up with next.

4/5 stars

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies – L.M. Chilton – Review

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Today I’m reviewing Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton

Here’s the blurb

Kirby Cornell needs a break from everything:
– Her crumbling flat in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its award-winning sausage rolls and a second-rate serial killer from the 90s).
– Her dead-end job.
– Her sleazy landlord.
– Her slobbish housemates.
– And, most of all, the terrible thing they did.

Luckily, that hasn’t caught up with her just yet. Until a new message on their old group chat pops up:

Everyone in the group chat will die.

It’s the first text her ex-flatmate and social-media sleuth Esme has sent for ages, but that’s not the really weird thing.

The really weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago…

Review

After reading the authors previous novel, Don’t Swipe Right and loving it I just couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one!

Kirby Cornell and her friends live in a little town called Crowhurst, they share a flat, their lives, and a group chat.

The only thing exciting about Crowhusrt is that it’s famous for being the home of a serial killer!

One day there’s a knock at the door.. one of their roommates has given his key to a girl named Esme.. She’s there looking for a story.. she’s one of these internet sleuths.. and she thinks there’s more to the Crowhurst killer than first thought..

Esme is like a breath of fresh air for Kirby… Kirby is stuck in a rut and meeting Esme, and what happens next to Esme lights a fire under her..

We jump around the timeline from then, to present time.. a strange message is received the group chat that makes Kirby’s blood go cold.. it’s a message from Esme.. but Esme’s dead right?

Kirby heads back to Crowhurst to find out who is sending these messages.. one of the other flatmates must know something..

There’s hidden secrets.. truths that none of the flatmates want getting out but the reader is kept guessing while Kirby tries to figures things out.

I won’t spoil the twists but there’s a few.. they are clever.. and the truth about the Crowhurst killer, now that was smart from the author.. kept me intrigued right up till the last page!

The story is very clever in that it explores something that is much more common nowadays.. internet sleuths.. the decline in the standard news outlets in favour of social networks and how we get our information these days.. it makes you think about how we digest news and how easy it can be to be manipulated.

There’s not much time to develop the characters… read the book you’ll soon see why ha but the information given is spot on.. little titbits thrown in there to make the story pop and to tie things together.

The plot is where this one shines. It moves at a decent pace and keeps you on edge not knowing what will happen next, or truly who is behind everything.

Flow wise the story was perfect for my kind of reading. It’s effortless to devour this one but has natural points where you can put it down (when you have to, not because you want to ha) and come back later… but that’s the thing.. this one kept me coming back for more,

Overall a smart offering from the author and I’m so glad to see a new book is planned for next year. So far the author has shown me they can write clever stories of a serious nature but in a fun and gripping way.

Easy 5* nothing I’d change with this one… just a bloody good read!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon… let me know what you think of the book!

Chasseur à Cheval by Griff Hosker  (Napoleonic Horseman Book 1) – Audio Review

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Today I’m reviewing the audiobook Chasseur à Cheval by Griff Hosker the first book in the Napoleonic Horseman series!

Here’s the blurb

From rejection to revolution; the cavalry calls.

Robbie Macgregor is the bastard son of a French Aristocrat and a Scottish servant. Unwanted by his father and finding himself without wealth and power, he is still despised by the masses. Forced to join the French army to avoid the guillotine, his new career gives him chance to be reborn. As a Chasseur à Cheval and through action and heroism, Robbie is involved with the capture of the Dutch Fleet on the Texel and the conquest of Malta, catching the eye of a young French General, Napoleon Bonaparte, who is quickly rising to power.

“I was born Robbie Macgregor. To many people, I am a traitor. To the French people I grew up with, I certainly was. To the English I fought for, I probably was and to my Scottish relatives? I suppose it depends to whom you spoke. I take no blame for any of this; it was all an accident of birth and death.”

Fast moving and action-packed, Chasseur à Cheval follows the early days of the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power and campaign through Italy, through the eyes of a young cavalryman.

Review

Robbie Macgregor doesn’t have the best start in life.. he’s the illegitimate son of a French aristocrat and a Scottish servant and as such never really feels he has a place in life..that is until revolution hits..

Forced to flee to save his own neck he enlists in the French army.. a new name.. a new persona..

The young lad needs to learn fast but quickly finds his place, solidifies friendships and becomes quite an accomplished solider.. so much so he gains the eye of the famous Napoleon Bonaparte!

Robbie and his comrades are sent on mission after mission.. they get the job done and Bonaparte needs men he can trust..

While the action heats up Robbie sees the brutality of war.. how fleeting life can be.. and all this does, is to remind him, to push him to find out the truth about what happened to his own family…there’s a truth that when exposed ignites the fire in Robbie.. I won’t spoil it but lets just say he won’t rest until things dealt with.. but he’s an army man now.. he can’t just waltz off.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, I listened to the audio version because I really enjoy seeing how the narrators add passion and gravitas to an authors words.. not to mention pronunciations which I’m terrible for in my own head ha ha.

Simon Aitchison the narrator was great and really made the words pop… I commute to/from work and I’m easily distracted, but the combination of Griff’s words and Simon’s tone kept me hooked and made my early morning walk something to look forward too!

If you love slow burners this isn’t for you.. it’s super fast paced but in a logical fashion.. nothing seems out of place and the pace just matched the pressure of war..there’s no time to rest.

Character wise there’s some decent development which isn’t easy given the pace of the plot, but what the development does is nicely setup scenes, interactions, which made those characters come to life a bit more, gave them some depth which again isn’t easy when there’s so much action.

The book itself is just under 10.5 hours which I felt was pretty good, nothing drawn out but nothing skimmed over either.. it was perfect when you’ve just got an hour or two to spare,, you’ll have it demolished in no time and will be left wanting more.

Credit where credits due, I don’t tend to listen many audiobooks but this one had me hooked from the start.

5/5 Stars

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon, or any other local or online retailer!