The Cleaner by Mark Dawson

John Milton is a Cleaner - the person Group Fifteen sends in to deal with problems.  He's not the only Cleaner, but after years of loyal service he has climbed the ranks to become Number One.  It's a position of responsibility and one he has never taken lightly, but during his latest mission his conscience twinged and he failed to follow the exact letter of his orders.  When Control calls him in after the mission he tries to explain his position, to tender his resignation - but you don't get to just 'resign' from the Group. 

On suspension while Control reviews his file Milton is alone in the city, adrift and not really focusing on the world around him - until he finds himself saving a life and becoming tangled in the life of a family at breaking point.  After years of military and Cleaning work Milton is uniquely placed to go undercover in an urban jungle that is more hostile than some war zones.  In a place ruled by gangs and warring factions, Milton has to work extra hard to save a young man on the brink of crossing the line from wannabe to real gangster, and once that happens his life will change forever.  It's not an easy task for Milton, especially with another Cleaner on his tail - but there is more than just his life at stake.

The Cleaner is the explosive and addictive start to the John Milton series.  Fast paced and action packed it is one of those rare books that almost seems to read itself - especially as you get closer to the explosive ending.  Too often series like this push the envelope a little too far, being just a little too unbelievable, but Mark Dawson has managed to create a world that feels very real.  The characters develop naturally throughout the story, you don't just get a character dump, people and their stories are revealed as you go.  The Cleaner is one of those stories that is completely readable and would be easy to translate to the big (or little) screen. 

Highly recommended, and on the bright side, as this is an older title now you can binge read the series.

If you like this book then try:

• The runner by Stephen Leather
• Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
• Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• The killing kind by Chris Holm

Reviewed by Brilla

A killer's mind by Mike Omer

Zoe Bentley is working as a profiler for the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit - she's not an FBI agent, but she is a forensic psychologist which brings the skills they need.  Her personality and qualifications make her a solid addition to the team, she puts in the long hours to unravel clues in cases that help develop suspect profiles.  Her self-care skills are not quite as good as she tends to get obsessed with cases and forget to do simple things.  Things like shop for food and shampoo and she has a tendency to hand in her weekly reports late which means her boss Unit Chief Mancuso is always chasing her for her paperwork.  

When Zoe is assigned to the Highway Serial Killings Initiative it feels like a perfect match to her skill set - even if it means wading through details about a suspect group of 217 truckers.  Zoe is happy to do the work and is more than a little annoyed when she is called to Chicago to support the newest member of their team, Special Agent Tatum Gray.  Gray was sent to Chicago to provide support to the Chicago PD who have a strange series of murders in their city.  He was supposed to just consult, but once he learns more about the case he calls in Zoe to provide more information and a better profile.  When another victim is discovered, there is no denying they are dealing with a serial killer.

Despite encouragement to play nicely with the other children, Zoe focuses on the case and the facts rather than worrying about diplomacy or jurisdiction.  As she digs deeper into the case she feels old memories stirring, memories from her childhood and a series of murders that happened in her home town.  Zoe thinks the cases could be connected, but is worried about how her 'obsession' will be received by the Police and Agent Gray.  There is a twisted killer preying on the women of Chicago and Zoe may be the only one who can stop him before he strikes again.

A killer's mind is the first book in a series and introduces us to forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley and her 'partner' Special Agent Tatum Gray.  The case that forms the base for the start of their working partnership is more than a little twisted, with the right amount of gruesome horror without gory details for the sake of gory details.  We learn a lot about both Zoe and Gray as the story unfolds, details that make them real and sidestep most of the cliches that everyone seems us these days.  This is a well written and engrossing story that feels more genuine than a lot of crime/psychological thrillers and doesn't rely on the same old same old to get the story across.  Best read in a single session if you can manage it - and look for the next book in the series - In the darkness.

If you like this book then try:

• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• The puppet show by M.W. Craven
• Every last fear by Alex Finlay
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• When darkness calls by Mark Griffin
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Look what you made me do by Elaine Murphy
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
• When you are mine by Michael Robotham
• A flicker in the dark by Stacy Willingham

Reviewed by Brilla

Perfect remains by Helen Fields

Luc Callanach has left his life in France as an Interpol officer behind, the start a new life as a Detective Inspector in Scotland.  It should be a relatively straight forward move, he is after all half Scottish (and has the last name to prove it) - but after leaving Scotland at the age of four France is all he knows.  The reception he receives is predictable, the French outsider promoted over local Scottish officers is never going to make friends on his first day - but the level of hostility only rises when he takes officers to investigate a body outside their jurisdiction on the flimsy excuse that it could be a local missing woman.  The body in the bothy is burned to nothing, but scant forensic clues at the scene show that the victim is in fact missing woman Elaine Buxton.  The team is left with the sad task of informing the family of their loss and moving on with the investigation into her murder.  The only problem is - Elaine Buxton isn't dead.

Elaine is the perfect captive - no one is looking for her, a body double providing all the evidence the world needs to see that she is dead.  It's a horrific scenario, made worse by her captors determination to prove that he is protecting her and taking care of her.  He talks about their future together, how they will grow and work together.  When Elaine starts to disappoint him he has no choice but to look for another partner, someone who can meet his intellectual needs and satisfy his demands.  When a second woman goes missing D.I Callanach can't shake the feeling that the two cases are related, especially when a second body is discovered with just enough forensic evidence to prove that the body is that of the missing woman.

What started as a missing persons case soon grows into a massive police operation, complicated by personal relationships and unwanted help.  Luc Callanach may be a Detective Inspector, but he is also the newest member of the team and doesn't have the history and local track record needed to throw his weight around in the case.  His best ally is Ava Turner, another Detective Inspector, but she is wrangling a complicated case of her own and becomes distant when he shuts her out for asking uncomfortable personal questions.  Callanach is playing a game of cat and mouse with a man who's struggling with the reality of a dream turning sour, and no one seems to be looking in the right direction.  Will Callanach untangle the mess in time to save the victims of this crazed jailer?

Perfect remains is an older book now, but that doesn't detract from the fact it is a very good read.  I only discovered the series because my local public library has a new books list, and one of the recent titles appeared on that list - it sounded so good I had to see how the series started!  Perfect remains is the perfect introduction to Luc Callanach and his world - both as a flawed and very human police officer, but also on a more personal level.  I don't like characters that are too perfect, or cases that go too smoothly - they don't feel real and lack the depth and failings that make them relateable.  This is true of the orbiting characters as well as the main characters, and it was a very real feeling world that we enter alongside Luc.  It will be interesting to see how the series develops (book two is on the way).

If you like this book then try:

• The lost by Simon Beckett
• When you are mine by Michael Robotham
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The puppet show by M.W. Craven
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• 2 sisters detective agency by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• When darkness calls by Mark Griffin
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker

Reviewed by Brilla

Alias Emma by Ava Glass

Movies and TV series always make the life of a spy seem glamorous and dangerous with conspiracies and villains around every corner.  It is a seductive image for some, but far from the truth for most spies.  Emma Makepeace's current assignment is neither glamorous, nor particularly dangerous - she is keeping tabs on a person of interest who is anything but interesting.  The job isn't the most exciting in the world, but as they say be careful what you wish for, because wanting a more exciting assignment can lead to you actually getting one!  Her cruisy little assignment ends abruptly when she is called in to bring in a man that has a very large target on his back - and has no interest in coming into protective custody.

An assassination team has been targeting former Russians living in the United Kingdom, and they are very good at their job.  Emma is giving the 'simple' task of convincing a potential target to come into protective custody, but as she soon discovers he is not keen to abandon his job as a doctor for a potential threat.  Convincing him to go with her is only the first part of the challenge, London is one of the most heavily surveilled cities, with CCTV cameras everywhere.  It is a race against time, and as a very junior spy Emma has limited resources and connections to see them safely to where they need to be.  It would be a mistake for Emma to underestimate how badly the Russians want their target dead - but it is also a mistake for them to underestimate Emma and how far she will go to complete her mission.

Alias Emma is an adrenaline fueled read that deserves to be read in a single session.  This is a book that starts with a bang and doesn't stop until the last page.  There have been several action thrillers written over the past few years that are written in the same spare style (possibly best described as the James Patterson effect) and they have all ultimately taken the action thriller and distilled it down to the key elements - creating a fast-paced read that hooks you without distraction from start to finish.  Glass has created a unique and interesting cast of characters that are put to the test in some rather interesting ways.  

Look out for the sequel Game of spies which is due for release in August 2023.

If you like this book then try:

• The house of killers by Samantha Lee Howe
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
• The accident man by Tom Cain
• The runner by Stephen Leather
• Kill a stranger by Simon Kernick
• The Cleaner by Mark Dawson
• Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• The killing kind by Chris Holm

Reviewed by Brilla

Truly darkly deeply by Victoria Selman

When she was a child Sophie's mother Amelia-Rose packed up their lives and moved them from Massachusetts in the United States of America, all the way to London in the United Kingdom.  Saying it was a shock is an understatement, and not just because of the culture shock - their new lives are very different to the one they had living in the home of Sophie's grandparents.  Determined to do it alone after her parents forced her out, Amelia-Rose starts a new life with Sophie, encouraging her to embrace her new life.  Doing it alone is tough, but then Amelia-Rose meets Matty Melgren and she is suddenly not so alone.  Matty seems to appear at the perfect time, for both Sophie and Amelia-Rose, but then the murders start to happen.  Women are being murdered in the area where they live, women who look a lot like Amelia-Rose and Sophie is terrified that her mother might be next despite confident denials from both Matty and her mother.  It is a tense time for everyone, most of all a sensitive young girl coping with an unsettled home life on top of everything else.

Twenty years later Sophie is quietly going about her life when a letter arrives from Battlemouth Prison stating that Matty would like to see her.  It is a letter she would rather avoid, along with all the memories of what happened when Matty was arrested for the murders.  After years of therapy Sophie has reached a certain kind of peace, but meeting with Matty may be the final piece of the puzzle.  Matty has always professed his innocence, and there are plenty of other people who agree, not to mention all the true crime and justice blogs, podcasts and websites that support his claims of innocence.  None of those people were there though, they didn't have to live through the terror of the murders, or the fall out for the 'daughter' of the man convicted of the murders.  Sophie has to decide if she will meet with Matty, it will be the first time she faces him, and they are both holding onto the past.   His conviction was the start of a downward spiral in her life and sometimes forgiveness is something you can't afford to give.

Truly darkly deeply is an interesting and engaging read where you are never quite sure where things are going until the end - partly because of the writers style which includes the present day, the past, and sprinklings of news reports and other bits and pieces.  It also really challenging to review as the best parts of the story are revealed throughout the book and I don't want to risk spoilers that aren't covered by the blurb!  It could have been a trainwreck of trying to jam too many things together, but Selman has managed to pull it off in a way that is thoroughly readable and allows you to connect with Sophie on many levels.  In some ways Truly darkly deeply is a murder mystery, and in some ways it is a coming-of-age story - although not a coming of age many of us would endure by choice.  Highly recommended, especially if you like an intelligent read that spreads clues throughout the story rather than leading you by the nose.

If you like this book then try:

• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• The puppet show by M.W. Craven
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• When darkness calls by Mark Griffin
• A killer's mind by Mike Omer
• Look what you made me do by Elaine Murphy
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Look what you made me do by Elaine Murphy
• When you are mine by Michael Robotham
• Every last fear by Alex Finlay
• A flicker in the dark by Stacy Willingham

Reviewed by Brilla

The Corpse Queen by Heather M. Herrman

Molly Green has spent the last few years of her life living in an orphanage - it's a tough life, made harder by the fact she had to watch as her parents rode away and left her behind.  The only real light in her life is her friendship with Kitty, a beautiful girl with a secret that only Molly and one other knows.  When Kitty is found dead, drowned in the river, Molly is convinced it is murder - not a popular view with the nuns who run the orphanage.  As a punishment for her willfulness and stubborn refusal to accept that Kitty committed suicide the nuns turn Molly out, a few weeks shy of her eighteenth birthday.  Mother Superior takes great delight in sharing the news, the only softening of the blow is the news that her 'aunt' has claimed her and offered her a place in her household.  

Molly is convinced it is a trick, that the orphanage has sold her off as a maid, so she is genuinely shocked to discover that Ava really is her aunt.  Records and documents can be faked, but Ava's uncanny resemblance to Molly's mother can't be faked.  Ava offers Molly a place in her household, the promise of a bright future in polite society.  After growing up so poor, and expecting nothing in life, Ava's promise of a future where she will want for nothing is very tempting indeed - but there is a price to pay.  Ava is well known and respected in polite society, but to another kind of society she is known as the Corpse Queen.  Ava and her workers collect bodies and other specimens for medical students and collectors - an illegal and lucrative practice.  

Determined to find Kitty's killer, Molly is drawn to the medical students who flock around the doctor that Ava works with.  She knows that one of them was involved with Kitty, and watching them makes it clear that they are arrogant and spoiled - given so much when she has so little.  As Molly is drawn deeper into Ava's world she discovers a burning desire she never knew she had - the desire to become a doctor herself.  It's a dangerous time to be a woman working the streets, albeit it in a capacity other than the usual occupation of a woman working at night, because there is a killer hunting and killing women.  Molly has been drawn into a dangerous where no one is what they seem, and everything is covered by a thin veneer of polite society.  Will Molly uncover the truth of what being the Corpse Queen truly means before it's too late?

The Corpse Queen is a well written and addictive read that keeps you hooked from the very start.  Molly's world is rendered in clear (but not exhaustive) detail, and brings to life the stark contrast between the lives of freedom so many of us live now, and what it was like to be a woman coming of age in a world controlled by men.  Molly is brave, determined, but also flawed - as are the people who orbit her world.  There is a mystery and sense of danger that hunts her as the story unfolds, as well as true friends and strange new enemies.  This could be a standalone novel as it is very complete in itself - but there is a sense that there could be a sequel as well.  Another brilliant historical novel for teenagers and adult readers alike.

If you like this book then try:

• A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• The glass spare by Lauren DeStefano
• The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson
• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• Not even bones by Rebecca Schaeffer
• The witch haven by Sasha Peyton Smith
• Forest of a thousand lanterns by Julie C. Dao
• Walk on Earth a stranger by Rae Carson
• Court of fives by Kate Elliott
• Girls of paper and fire by Natasha Ngan
• Warrior of the wild by Tricia Levenseller

Reviewed by Brilla