Force Of Nature - Jane Harper

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case - in just a matter of days she was to provide the documents that will bring down the company she works for.

Falk discovers that far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. But does it include murder?

When I read The Dry last year I fell in love with Jane Harper's writing, both her description and characters were almost perfect and made for one of my most compelling reads of the year. It went on to become the Waterstones Crime Book of the Month (twice) and in several publications, it won awards and Reese Witherspoon's production company has bought the movie rights. I didn't think it was possible to improve on The Dry but with Force Of Nature? Jane Harper has done just that. I've had a copy of the book since August last year and I've read it twice, and it's on my list of books for top ten of 2018 already.

The affable Aaron Falk makes a welcome return and, along with his colleague Carmen in the Financial Crimes unit, soon becomes embroiled in a missing persons case. The connection to his department? The missing woman was their informant into an investigation into company fraud and the people she went into the Giralang Ranges with happen to be the top bosses of BaileyTennants. It was supposed to be a team building weekend, learning to trust their co-workers, a team of 5 men and a team of 5 women. When the deadline passes and only the men have returned things take a turn for the worse. Eventually the women return, but Alice is not one of them. The question is, has she merely walked away or did someone go into the Bush with murderous intentions?

Jane Harper has created another amazing thriller, with an eclectic mix of characters and once again using the Australian bush as a character in its own right. She keeps you on your toes as to what exactly happened out there, a simple case of a woman wanting to disappear or someone who knows just what she's been doing and can't risk her staying alive once the weekend is over. How far would one of the other women go to keep a secret? Alice Russell is far from a likeable character, even Falk and Carmen don't particularly like her very much, but that's no excuse for violence.

The story flips between the current search for the missing woman and what actually happened during the days the women were in the wilderness. This builds both a picture of the women themselves and how they got on, along with a snapshot of the investigations and their home lives, building the momentum until we finally find out what really transpired while they were alone.

Force of Nature was a masterpiece of misdirection, I was suspicious of everyone from the gas station attendant to the chap running the retreat, the rangers at the local lodge where Falk was staying to Daniel and Jill, Alice's bosses. There was the added menace of a local serial killer who although he was dead, had a son who hadn't been seen for several years, and so of course anybody male came under suspicion too. The discovery of the truth of Alice's disappearance stunned me. Once again I'd gone for every option but the right one, distracted by the red herrings and ignoring the hints that led to the real story.

As I said with The Dry, if you like intelligent, well written, gripping thrillers then you should add both Force of Nature and The Dry to your reading lists. Although this is the second book in the Falk series you could read this as a standalone but really, to fully appreciate Jane Harper's wonderful, descriptive writing you need to read both. Huge thanks to Grace Vincent and LittleBrown for an advance copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour. I'm off to buy the gorgeous limited edition hardback now as Force of Nature is a keeper and I'm sure I'll be re-reading while I wait for Falk no. 3 (fingers crossed)!!!

Spyder - Matt Carr

Introducing... Spyder - code name 008 (legs). It's not easy being a super special secret agent when you're only as big as a pin badge. But when a birthday cake is under threat, SPYDER is called upon. It's time to pack the spy-kit with binoculars, a top-secret laser pen and... a banana. Will Spyder save the day, AND the party? Matt Carr, author-illustrator of the internationally acclaimed SUPERBAT, has created a new picture book masterpiece that will have readers both big and little chuckling with laughter - mission accomplished!

Spyder is the fantastic second book by author-illustrator Matt Carr. His first, Superbat, was a firm favourite with the twins who loved the minimal colour palette used and adored Superbat's desire to be a superhero.

Spyder is the story of an intrepid eight-legged spider who works as a spy, Codename 008, and her bid to save a little boy's birthday cake from villain Bluebottle. Being an agent and a spider is hard work though, as there are lots of obstacles in her way, the least of which is Mr Webster's Sock of Doom. Bluebottle is a formidable enemy though and manages to elude capture until the very last, with a cunning plan by Spyder saving the day.

As with Superbat, Matt used a very minimalist colour palette with bright blues, yellows and reds, drawing your eye to each and every page. I love that there's a mix of different fonts which made it easy for the twins to read it out loud, taking turns by each font used. The style of Spyder has a glorious, nostalgic feeling and along with the subtle touches of humour (Miss Moneyspider!) will entertain the adults too.It's a bright, arachnid adventure that will hold any child's attention and of course, let them know that there's no need to be afraid of spiders. You never know when one might be an agent in disguise!

Dark Game - Rachel Lynch

Kelly’s gut turned over as she realized the danger she was in. She heard no sirens. She knew that she was simply collateral. To these men who made a lot of money from the suffering of others, they’d have no problem snuffing her out.

After a scandal forces D. I. Kelly Porter out of the Met, she returns to her home turf in the Lake District. Crimes in the Cumbrian constabulary tend to be of the minor sort, but Kelly begins work on a cold case that shocked the local community – the abduction and brutal murder of ten-year-old Lottie Davies.

Meanwhile, Kelly is also investigating two seemingly straightforward crimes: a case involving an illegal immigrant, and a robbery following the death of local businessman Colin Day. But evidence comes to light that reveals a web of criminal activity beyond anything Kelly imagined. Behind the veneer of sleepy, touristy towns lies a dark and dangerous underworld. As Kelly threatens to expose those with much to lose, she risks paying the ultimate price to get to the truth…

I read some amazing thrillers last year featuring female detectives/leads and it looks like 2018 is going to be the same. Rachel Lynch has created a fantastic character in Kelly Porter, struggling to adjust living in her childhood home after leaving London under somewhat of a cloud. 

Moving back in with her mother and dealing with her older, bitter sister Kelly is also looking into a cold case that turns out to be linked to her current case involving one of the area's most prominent businessmen, found dead in one of his hotels. The cold case involved a ten-year-old girl who was brutally murdered and her father was the only suspect at the time. Now, Kelly is determined to bring the child's mother some peace but doesn't realize just exactly what she's about to become involved in.

In the beautiful and seemingly quiet surroundings of the Lake District, you certainly don't expect to find drug running, illegal fights, people trafficking, and crime bosses, but this is what Kelly uncovers and somehow it all ties into Lottie's disappearance and death.

It was, quite literally, a case of 'up all night' for me when reading Dark Game. I picked it up before bed expecting to read a couple of chapters but four hours later I was turning the last page, having become completely immersed in Rachel Lynch's wonderful writing and gripping plot. Kelly Porter is not without her fault. She left London after being accused of being too reckless but this is exactly what these two cases need to get to the bottom of them both, to find justice for one and hopefully save lives. You get to see the darker side of one of the most beautiful places in the UK, where nothing is as it seems and if you scratch the surface, don't be surprised at what you find underneath. Rachel Lynch has created a compelling and engrossing main character and I can't wait to see what DI Kelly Porter gets up to next!

About The Author

Rachel Lynch grew up in Cumbria and the lakes and fells are never far away from her. London pulled her away to teach History and marry an Army Officer, whom she followed around the globe for thirteen years. A change of career after children led to personal training and sports therapy, but writing was always the overwhelming force driving the future. The human capacity for compassion as well as its descent into the brutal and murky world of crime are fundamental to her work.

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Dark Game - Rachel Lynch
Publisher - Canelo
Release Date - January 29th, 2018
Find - Goodreads | Amazon UK | Kobo

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February New Release Giveaway!

Welcome to the February 2018 New Release Giveaway Hop, hosted by It Starts At Midnight! The hop now runs all month long so you can enter from now until midnight on November 30th. Up for grabs is any new release this month up to the value of $20 from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list of countries here. 

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