Review: STREETS OF GOLD, Margot Kinberg

• 
  this edition on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09RJQ6CR7
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grey Cells Press (March 16, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 126 pages

Synopsis  (Amazon)

These Streets Are Not Made of Gold…

Fifteen-year-old Staci Mckinney thought that leaving home would solve her problems. At least it would get her away from her disgusting stepfather, Nick. But it’s not long before Nick becomes the least of her worries. It’s not easy to live on the streets. It’s a daily struggle to find food and a place to sleep, especially during a Philadelphia winter. Things get even harder when Staci witnesses two men dumping a body. When they see her, too, she has no choice but to go on the run.

Philadelphia City Councilman Daniel Langdon thought everything would be alright, even after the ‘road rage’ incident that led to a death. After all, nobody knew what happened. Except some kid saw him and his assistant dumping the body. Now he’s going to have to find the girl before she gets the chance to talk to anyone about what she witnessed.  

My Take

In this novella the author impressively and credibly explores what would send a teenager out onto the streets, and then, the options that she has for survival.

Already on the streets of Philadelphia, Staci Mckinney sees two men dumping what she later discovers is a body on the streets. However not only can she identify them, but they also see her, and realise the part she could play in revealing their identities to the authorities. 

Now not only Staci's mum is looking for her but also these two men who have resources that eventually assist them in finding out where members of the community have last seen Staci.

In her efforts to get away and to stay hidden, Staci discovers that there are a number of people whose hearts are in the "right place".

Well done Margot - I enjoyed the read!

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

PUBLISH OR PERISH
4.5, B - VERY FLAT
4.3, IN A WORD: MURDER  (edit)
4.4, PAST TENSE
4.5, DOWNFALL
4.4, A MATTER OF MOTIVE

Review: A STUDY IN STONE, Michael Campling

• 
  format: kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN : B07S1GTNV7
• Publisher : Shadowstone Books (June 20, 2019)
• Language : English
• File size : 3105 KB
• Print length : 121 pages 
• #1 in series

Synopsis (Amazon)

Dan Corrigan wants to disappear.

Burnt out by the pressures of corporate life, he escapes to the countryside. But when he least expects it, a chance discovery draws him into a compelling mystery.

An ancient legend, a coded message on a stone slab, and a secret concealed in a country manor house: these are the clues that take Dan on a journey into the past, delving deeper into a hidden history.
But reputations are on the line, and there are those who want the mystery to remain unsolved.
Uncovering the truth might give Dan the confidence to rebuild his life, but if he fails, there’s no going back.
Can you solve this very British mystery?

Find out when you join Dan as he chases down the clues in A Study in Stone.

My Take

If you are looking for a quick cozy read then this novella might be just the thing, the first in what is currently a series of 4. Dan Corrigan has fled to Devonshire from London, from a high pressure job.  He and his next door neighbour Alan make an unlikely sleuthing duo (they remind me a bit of the Fethering mysteries with Carole and Jude), but neither can leave a mystery alone, and the puzzle confronting them has more serious implications than it first seems.

My rating: 4.3

About the series

The Devonshire Mysteries are traditional British mysteries in a modern-day setting.

These are cosy mysteries (or ‘cozy mysteries’ for Dan Corrigan’s trans-Atlantic fans). There’s a touch of dry humour and the stories pay homage to the legacies of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle. You’ll always find a mixed bag of suspects, plenty of clues and a few red herrings, so that you could have solved the mystery if only you’d put two and two together.

Amateur Sleuth Dan Corrigan is quick-witted, driven and far too clever for his own good. Fortunately, his friend and neighbour, Alan Hargreaves, is the perfect foil for Dan's intellect. Loyal, dependable and with a knack for detailed research, Alan keeps Dan on track, and together, they make an effective team.

Review: SILENT KILL, Jane Casey

• 
  Format: kindle e-book (Amazon)
  
• File size : 796 KB
• Publication date : August 6, 2020
• Word Wise : Enabled
• Print length : 100 pages
• Publisher : HarperCollins (August 6, 2020)
• Language: : English
• ASIN : B07JK7WWPH
• A novella between #8 and #9 of the Maeve Kerrigan series

Synopsis (Amazon) 

A murder in broad daylight…
A teenage girl is killed on a London bus. The case should be simple. The bus was full of witnesses, and there are cameras everywhere.
 
A hunt for a killer…
But the more DC Georgia Shaw and her colleagues Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent delve into the crime, the more elusive the answers become.
 
A case that spirals out of control…
It seems impossible that no one saw anything, but soon the leads run cold. Will they uncover what really happened, or will the killer get away with murder?
 
For fans of the Maeve Kerrigan series, this is a story with a difference. Told from Georgia’s point of view, we see Maeve and Josh from the outside…like you’ve never seen them before.

My Take

A quick read, this has the feeling of a full-fledged novel, a strong plot, an investigation, lots of suspects, strong characters, the victim an unpleasant school girl, the murderer a person who has just had enough, a murder that was never meant to happen.

I thoroughly enjoyed.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.6, THE MISSING  
• 4.3, THE BURNING #1
• 4.5, THE RECKONING - #2
• 4.5, LET THE DEAD SPEAK #7
• 4.6, CRUEL ACTS - #8

Review: NINTH AND NOWHERE, Jeffery Deaver

• format: kindle (Amazon)
• File Size: 4956 KB
• Print Length: 52 pages
• Publisher: Amazon Original Stories (January 29, 2019)
• Publication Date: January 29, 2019
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07JYPTLJW

Synopsis (Amazon)

Seven strangers. Two hours. One tragic moment of violence that changes everything.

In this electrifying short story by New York Times bestselling author of The Never Game Jeffery Deaver, the destinies of seven strangers intersect in ways no one sees coming. It looks like just another gray March morning in the tough urban district nicknamed Nowhere when seven lives converge: a young man intent on buying a gun; the gangbanger who cuts him a deal; a by-the-book police officer on a last patrol; an advertising executive keeping secrets from her husband; a veteran haunted by a combat death; a single dad in a bitter custody battle; and a sharp-looking businessman en route to a new job he desperately needs. Any one of them could have a dark motive. Any one of them could be walking into a trap. When the fog lifts, it will all be much clearer—that a single, shattering act of violence has marked each of them forever.

My Take

I liked the way each of the 7 main characters was introduced in this novella. Inevitably as the author described each of the characters I made a judgement about them, but, as it turned out I was very wrong.

Tension builds as the reader realises each character is heading towards Ninth Ave in Nowhere and you know that something is going to happen.

An excellent read. Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.8