Tag Archives: Georgia Rose

My Review of A Killer Strikes by Georgia Rose. #weekendwanderingsthroughmyreviews #crime #Thriller

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21

The perfect family… The perfect murders…

A family massacred. A village in mourning. Can anyone sleep safely while a killer is on the loose?

Laura Percival, owner of The Stables, notices something wrong at her friend’s house when out on her morning ride. Further investigation reveals scenes she’ll never forget.

While the police are quick to accuse, Laura is less so, defending those around her as she struggles to make sense of the deaths. And all the time she wonders if she really knew her friends at all.

A chance encounter opens up a line of investigation that uncovers a secret life. One that Laura is much closer to than she ever realised.

A Killer Strikes is a gripping domestic thriller. If you like character-driven action, suspenseful storytelling and dark revelations then you’ll love this exciting novel.

My Review:

Well, I wholeheartedly agree with that last sentence of the book description above, this is what is sometimes called an unputdownable read. I loved it!

I’ve long admired Georgia Rose’s writing and really enjoyed her stories ( here’s my review for one of her earlier books: (Parallel Lives: https://tinyurl.com/9ek6hc93 ).

A Killer Strikes is a true thriller and, as I expected, it’s written in this author’s usual evenly paced writing style, with great characters and a riveting plot.

Told in first person point of view by the protagonist, Laura Percival, we are immediately thrown into her life as it begins to be revealed that all is not as she thinks, even if she doesn’t always understand the implications. We get an insight both to the way the plot is progressing and also to the subtle, inevitable changes in the protagonist.

Each character is brought too life, by the depictions of them, and by their dialogue. There are those I instantly loved, those I instantly disliked – those I wasn’t sure of; who gave me an uneasy feeling. I love character led stories, if the book also has an intriguing plot it’s a great bonus. And A Killer Strikes certainly gives both elements.

As with all of Georgia Roses’ books the descriptions of the settings give a good sense of place. In the stables I could almost hear the activity there: the snuffle of the horses – smell their coats, the straw. I could see the vaguely threatening adult club Laura finds herself in, surrounded by strangers. And I wandered through her home with her. The portrayal of the rooms shows the comfort the protagonist lives in, the place she feels most safe – (yet is she ?)

A Killer Strikes is a most satisfying read that had me empathising with the protagonist every step of the way, with a plot that kept me guessing the whole time. This is a book I thoroughly recommend.

The author:

Georgia Rose is a writer and the author of the romantic and suspenseful Grayson Trilogy books: A Single Step, Before the Dawn and Thicker than Water. Following completion of the trilogy she was asked for more and so wrote a short story, The Joker, which is based on a favourite character from the series and the eBook is available to download for free at the retailer of your choice.

Her fourth novel, Parallel Lies, encompasses crime along with Georgia’s usual blending of genre and its sequel, Loving Vengeance, has now completed The Ross Duology.

Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her passion for people watching and her overactive imagination.

She has also recently started running workshops and providing one-to-one support for those wishing to learn how to independently publish and you can find her, under her real name, at http://www.threeshirespublishing.com.

Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.

Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire in the UK where she lives with her much neglected husband.

Links to Georgia:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgia.rose.books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaRoseBook

My Review of Parallel Lies by Georgia Rose #FridayReads

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parrellel lives

I received a copy of Parallel Lies from the author in return for an honest review. I gave the book 4* out of 5*

Book Description:

My name is Madeleine, Madeleine Ross. It is a name chosen with thought and because it is classy, and that is what is needed here…’ Madeleine Ross has life exactly as she planned it. Cosy cottage, friendly village, satisfying job. Company… when she wants it. It’s an enviable existence for an independent young woman, and one she’s keen to protect. Enter Daniel – strong, dependable and a danger to everything she’s built. He’s not something she was looking for, but hearts can’t be controlled and maybe, just maybe he might be worth letting into hers. But, all is not what it seems. Because Madeleine is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Deep secrets. And they never stay buried for ever. Her darkest secret returns, like the proverbial bad penny. He is her first love, shadowy, dangerous, the baddest of bad boys. No matter how far she runs, or how well she hides, she can never escape him. Or her past. Here he is, on her doorstep, with a proposition she is powerless to resist but which could devastate the future she hoped to have. Can Madeleine satisfy the old love while keeping the new? You can’t always get what you want but, desperate to preserve the life she has worked so hard for, Madeleine is willing to risk everything to prove that she can.

 My Review:

I’ve always enjoyed Georgia Rose’s work; she has a writing style that carries the reader along, never quite sure what will happen next in her books.

Parallel Lies is no exception; it’s a cracking good read, a mixture of mystery and crime with an  overlay of romance.

The main characters are strongly rounded,  The protagonist is shown to be flawed; she lives, as the title hints, parallel lives; a damaged woman hidden inside the persona she has skilfully and painstakingly acquired; the classy Madeleine. Then there is Dan, initially disliked by Madeleine, yet it’s a classic case; the dislike turns into reluctant love. A love  endangered by a character from her past life. Say no more!

And, something else I liked; the minor characters are given enough layers to make them believable (I particularly liked  Diane, a strong woman who grew up in the sixties, with all that the era represents)  and Joe, the gardener and friend of Diane, given wisdom and insight. Also Kourtney, a young woman rough around the edges who reminds the protagonist of herself when younger. For me, the way Kourtney’s  life evolves in the story suggests that there is more to come from this character at some times in the future. Or maybe not? Hmm.

Told mostly from Madeline’s  point of view. we get an insight both to the way the plot is progressing and also  to the subtle, inevitable changes in the protagonist. But there is, as well, another point of view, and I did like this; Dan’s point of view. This is in the second person point of view as internal dialogue. It worked well, for me.

And I thought the  dialogue throughout worked well for all the characters.

The descriptions of the settings  give a good sense of place; it’s easy to see the characters moving around the pubs and houses in Crowbridge, the gym and seedy shop in Hartleigh.

All in all, a well  written story by Georgia Rose  that builds the tension of the plot.

I  recommend Parallel Lies.

 Links to buy:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2evommM

 Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2vQGEBx

 The Author: 

Georgia Rose 1

Georgia Rose is a writer and the author of the romantic and suspenseful Grayson Trilogy books: A Single Step, Before the Dawn and Thicker than Water. A short story, The Joker, based on a favourite character from the series followed and is free to download from Amazon.

Her fourth novel, Parallel Lies, a standalone, encompasses crime along with Georgia’s usual blending of genre.

Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.

Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her story lines; the others are a product of her passion for people watching and her overactive imagination.

Links to Georgia:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgia.rose.books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorgiaRoseBook

My Review of Thicker Than Water by Georgia Rose

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Georgia Rose

                                       Georgia Rose

I gave Thicker than Water 5* out of 5*

Thicker than Water is the third book in the Grayson trilogy and is a brilliant ending to the series.

Emma Grayson’s story continues at Melton Manor; living in the cottage on the estate and responsible for the stables. Emma and Trent marry but there are still problems surrounding the criminal Polzin organisation,

Having read Before the Dawn (the second of the series) I immediately turned to this last. The final book of a good trilogy pulls together all the loose strings that unravel in the first two novels. This is no exception. Surprising, thrilling. Best of all, satisfying. Yet there is always the feeling of regret when the last page is read.

So, not to spoil things, I won’t give away the story but will let the book blurb entice:

There are tough times ahead for Emma Grayson in the final part of these mysterious and romantic adventure stories as she struggles to move on from her old life.

‘Vaguely aware of the tremor in my hand I ran my fingers up through the thick locks of his dark hair. Fear clutched at my heart as I sensed the icy tendrils of grief reaching for me once more.’

As the overseas action steps up a gear for Trent, Emma has her own challenges to face. Loyalties are tested and vengeance sought when she attracts interest from an unwelcome source.

Because someone is coming. Someone who has Emma in their sights.

Someone who will turn her life upside down… forever.

 

Told mainly from her own reflective viewpoint, we see that the protagonist Emma has grown from the fragile wary character initially portrayed by the author in the first book, A Single Step, into an even more rounded character; strong, courageous, even heroic. Finally she is now shown to be equal with Trent. In turn, he has become more empathetic, more multi-faceted.  And, as the trilogy has progressed, the secondary characters have become more rounded; Turner, Carlton, Grace, Greene. I also liked the characterization of the two children.

The descriptions of the settings are evocative and compelling, giving a real sense of place.

Both the dialogue and the narrative is strong, decisive and carries the reader along with some heart-stopping moments amongst the  many twists and turns but the pacing steadily builds to a satisfying denouement.

Georgia Rose tells a great story; a cross genre of contemporary romance and crime,Thicker Than Water is the perfect ending to this trilogy. I highly recommend it.

 Find Thicker than Water here:

Amazon.co.uk:

http://amzn.to/1OvjuVK

Amazon.com:

http://amzn.to/1ThVS8U