Category Archives: Severn House Publishers

December 30, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: Dark Truths by A.J. Cross

Title: Dark Truths by A.J. Cross
Will Traynor Series Book One
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 240 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Introducing criminologist Will Traynor in the first of a gripping new forensic mystery series from an expert in the field.

When a headless body is discovered on a popular jogging trail, Detective Inspector Bernard Watts and his team are plunged headlong into a baffling murder investigation. Why would someone stab to death a young woman on her daily run – and take her head?

When a close examination of the crime scene results in a shocking discovery linking the present murder to a past crime, criminologist Will Traynor is brought in to assist the police. Aware of Traynor’s troubled past and already having to deal with inexperienced rookie PC Chloe Judd on his team, Watts is sceptical that Traynor will bring anything useful to the investigation.

He’s about to be proved very wrong …

Review:

The first installment in the Will Traynor series, Dark Truths by A.J. Cross is an intriguing mystery.

With the Unsolved Crimes Unit now disbanded, Detective Inspector Bernard Watts (from the Kate Hanson series) is now the senior investigating officer on the Zoe Roberts murder. He is reluctantly working with young and inexperienced Police Constable Chloe Judd and troubled criminologist Dr. Will Traynor.  The search for Zoe’s killer leads to unexpected and rather gruesome discoveries that suggest the trio is hunting a serial killer. With Will distracted by his wife Claire’s long unsolved disappearance and possible murder,  Chloe jumping to conclusions and making poor decisions in the field, Bernard is frustrated by their lack of progress. With a deadline to solve the murder fast approaching, will Watts and his team find evidence that will lead them to the killer(s)?

DI Watts is gruff and grumpy as he and PC Judd begin their investigation into Zoe’s horrific murder. With scant clues at the scene, they turn to her family in hopes of finding her killer. Her parents are grief-stricken but a lot of their attention is focused on protecting their business in the wake of their daughter’s murder. Her brother Alec is upfront about their troubled childhood, but he is quick to assert they have moved past their issues.  Zoe and her husband are separated but is he their killer?

Judd is quite young and she has strong opinions despite her lack of experience. She is impatient and judgmental and she does not hesitate to offer her theories on the murders. Although Watts is a bit impatient with her, he recognizes Chloe’s potential  and tries to steer her into looking at the evidence they have unearthed.

Will is distracted throughout the investigation after he becomes certain that his wife’s disappearance is connected to their current case. He does offer some important insight but Watts soon grows irritated with Will’s inability to focus on Zoe’s murder and their shocking discoveries at her crime scene.  Will is convinced there is a connection between Zoe’s murder and their other findings but will he, Watts and Judd find the thread that links them together before it is too late?

Dark Truths is a clever mystery but the pacing is a little slow. Watts is a seasoned investigator but he is having trouble adjusting to his newest assignment. Will is quite intelligent and intuitive but his obsession about his tragic loss is a definite hindrance.  Judd is a likable young woman but she is a bit obnoxious due to her lack of experience and immaturity.  A.J. Cross brings the novel to an action-packed but slightly lackluster conclusion. The Will Traynor series is off to a slightly rocky start but it will be interesting to watch Watts, Judd and Traynor settle into a more cohesive unit.

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Filed under AJ Cross, Contemporary, Dark Truths, Mystery, Rated C+, Review, Severn House Publishers, Suspense, Will Traynor Series

December 1, 2019 · 11:55 pm

Review: The Murals by William Bayer

Title: The Murals by William Bayer
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 224 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In this multi-layered psychological mystery, photographer Jason Poe is transfixed by a disturbing set of murals he encounters in the attic of an abandoned house, and resolves to uncover the secret behind them.

“The murals hit me hard. First came terror, then awe. It was only after I’d taken them in that I began to feel their immense power.”

Jason Poe, a former war photographer, has been breaking into abandoned houses for an art project to document what previous tenants have left behind. One night he finds more than expected when he ascends to an attic and is confronted by a haunting set of murals.

The murals cover all four walls of the cramped space and hypnotise Jason. Convinced there’s an important story behind them, he embarks upon a quest to identify their creator and uncover their meaning. To do so Jason recruits several friends, including Joan Nguyen, a reporter for Calista Times-Dispatch. As the team delve deeper they uncover a mystery involving accusations of satanism, police corruption, a scandal involving a wealthy Calista family, a series of contemporary arson attacks . . . and an enigmatic patient in a Swiss psychiatric clinic.

Review:

The Murals by William Bayer is a puzzling mystery.

Photography instructor Jason Poe is immediately obsessed with finding out more information about a series of murals painted on the walls of an empty house. He cannot quite put his finger on why the murals affect him so deeply so he enlists the help of his assistant Tally Vaughan, colleague and sometimes girlfriend Hannah Sachs and newspaper report Joan Nguyen to try to find the artist. The house has a troubled past and they quickly discover the possible identity of the artist(s). But with their questions rebuffed at every turn, Jason and his friends quickly deduce that something was quite amiss with the artists and quite possibly, their time in the house. Will their persistence and amateur sleuthing provide them with the answers they are searching for?

Written in first person with the chapters alternating between different characters, The Murals is an engrossing mystery. The characters are likable and vibrantly developed. The house is creepy but can they trust the reports of what occurred within the walls? The murals completely captivate anyone who views them and everyone is affected in different ways. Will uncovering the truth about the artists and their reason for painting the murals provide answers for why Jason, Tally, Hannah and Joan are so disturbed by them?  With a few twists and turns, William Bayer provides answers to these questions with a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed this clever and unique mystery and recommend it to readers of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Severn House Publishers, The Murals, William Bayer

September 30, 2019 · 11:56 pm

Review: Trap Lane by Stella Cameron

Title: Trap Lane by Stella Cameron
Alex Duggins Mystery Series Book Six
Publisher: Severn House
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 224 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Although he has always kept his past carefully hidden, as the ever-reliable manager of her well-stocked pub, The Black Dog, Hugh Rhys has Alex Duggins’ total trust. However the unexpected arrival of two women from his past raises the fury of the usually even-tempered Hugh, threatens his carefully-crafted reputation and sends shockwaves through the village.

When a battered body is discovered in a deep pond near Hugh’s estate, Alex and her partner Tony are once again pulled into a chilling murder investigation. With Hugh’s odd behaviour ensuring that he becomes the police’s chief suspect, Alex determines to prove his innocence. But she’s about to find herself walking a dangerous line, looking for a killer she may wish she had never found …

Review:

Trap Lane by Stella Cameron is a perplexing mystery that includes personal intrigue, murder and a missing person.  Although this newest installment is the sixth installment in the Alex Duggins Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.

Hugh Rhys, the manager of the Black Dog, is a very enigmatic figure who is very tight-lipped about himself. So when Neve Rhys shows up asking to talk to Hugh, pub owner Alex Duggins’ curiosity is piqued. Hugh’s reaction to Neve is very much out of character, which makes Alex even more curious about their somewhat volatile relationship. Later that evening, she is surprised and somewhat uneasy after unexpectedly spotting unexpectedly him at his vacant house when he should be at work. The next day, a local locksmith is shaken when he goes to Hugh’s house to change the locks and discovers blood on the floor. Detective Inspector Bill Lamb and Detective Sergeant Jillian Miller are called in to investigate the inexplicable disappearance of an unknown person. Alex knows a bit more about the case than she is revealing to the authorities but after she discovers the body of a murdered man close to Hugh’s house, will she divulge this information to DI Lamb? And can she completely trust that Hugh is not involved in this latest murder to occur in Folly-on-Weir?

Alex is torn between protecting Hugh and aiding Bill during the investigation. Her partner, Tony Harrison, wants to keep her safe so he is the voice of reason when he urges her to come clean with investigators. Alex continues to hold back as she waits to see what Hugh does next. She continues to be troubled by his behavior but could she have so misjudged her friend and pub manager?

Hugh is absolutely furious with the unexpected visitors who have arrived in the village. He keeps quiet about the identity of the person staying at his house but does this mean he has anything to do with their apparent disappearance? What exactly is going on between him, his cousin Perry and Perry’s wife Neve?  And what, if anything, does Annie Bell have to do with the unfolding mystery?

Trap Lane is an intriguing mystery that takes quite a few unexpected twists and turns. The characters are extremely engaging and the picturesque setting springs vibrantly to life. The investigation is a little slow moving initially but it does not take long for the pace to pick up.   Multiple story arcs feature characters from previous books in the series along with regular cast members. Stella Cameron brings this suspenseful mystery to a satisfying yet somewhat abrupt conclusion. I enjoyed and recommend this latest addition to the Alex Duggins Mystery series readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.

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Filed under Alex Duggins Mystery Series, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Severn House Publishers, Stella Cameron, Suspense, Trap Lane

May 29, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Auguries by F.G. Cottam

Title: The Auguries by F.G. Cottam
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Horror, Occult
Length: 208 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

An unexpected lunar eclipse. A poisonous fog that cripples the capital. Statues that weep blood.

As the catalogue of calamities mount, fear and paranoia provoke rumours of terrorist attacks. But from whom?

History professor Juliet Harrington is an authority on sixteenth-century mysticism and a long-time believer in the existence of the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom, a potent spell-book legend insists was compiled in that period by a cabal of powerful occultists. Its magic is summoned though only at disastrous cost, signalled by The Auguries. Juliet is convinced that the recent plague of disasters means someone reckless is using the book – and she has little time left to stop them.

Review:

The Auguries by F.G. Cottam is an intriguing blend of occult and horror elements.

Fourteen year old altar boy  Andrew Baxter is disturbed enough about troubling occurrences during a recent funeral to talk to his parish priest Father Gould. During the course of their discussion, the term “the unrestful dead” immediately comes to the priest’s mind. In an effort to learn more information, Gould reads a monograph by Professor Juliet Harrington in which a rumored book, Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom, might be responsible for recent tragic events.

It turns out Britain’s Home Secretary also believes this book containing numerous spells is at the heart of their country’s latest catastrophes. He convinces Juliet to travel to Germany in hopes of learning where German alchemist Gunter Keller (who was burned at the stake centuries earlier) hid the Almanac.  As these cataclysmic events continue at an alarming rate in Britain, the fate of the world rests on Juliet locating and neutralizing the book.  Will she accomplish this near herculean task?

Unbeknownst to Gould or Juliet,  the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom has fallen into the hands of young local girl in his parish. She does not comprehend the correlation between her experiments and the tragic events occurring in Britain.  And even if she does eventually figure out the connection, will she stop performing the spells in the book?

Juliet is aided by translator Paul Beck as they scour Keller’s long ago writings that begin in 1528. They uncover alarming information that in turn leads to their frenetic attempts to track down the writings of other people involved with the spells in the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom.  Juliet also knows how to stop the current catastrophes from continuing, but she must locate the book.   She is edging ever closer to uncovering the Almanac’s whereabouts but will Juliet get there before it is too late?

The Auguries features an interesting premise but the pacing is slow and some passages are a bit repetitious.  The translations of the centuries old works are quite fascinating. However, the story arc in the present hinges on unrealistic circumstances surrounding the novel’s antagonist. The horror and occult aspects of the storyline are extremely well written and very interesting. F.G. Cottam brings the novel to an ambiguous conclusion that is rather frustrating. A bit of a mixed bag, but an overall entertaining read.

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Filed under Contemporary, F.G. Cottam, Horror, Occult, Review, Severn House Publishers, The Auguries

November 28, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: A Bad, Bad Thing by Elena Forbes

Title: A Bad, Bad Thing by Elena Forbes
An Eve West Mystery Book One
Publisher: Severn House
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Eve West, a police officer with a hidden past, is drawn into a dark and complex case when she’s asked to investigate a miscarriage of justice.

A highly effective police officer, albeit one who keeps her past carefully hidden, Eve West is suspended from duty after a police operation goes catastrophically wrong. Receiving help from an unexpected quarter – a criminal she put away many years before – Eve feels she has no choice but to agree to his request to investigate a possible miscarriage of justice in return. But why is a hardened criminal like John Duran so keen to help a fellow-inmate convicted of the murder of a stable-girl? And why has he chosen Eve to look into the case?

Teaming up with crusading journalist Dan Cooper, Eve begins to uncover disturbing flaws in the original investigation. But as her past is dragged to the surface, she comes to realize she has been plunged into a case more complex and sinister than she ever imagined.

Review:

The first installment in An Eve West Mystery series, A Bad, Bad Thing by Elena Forbes is an absorbing mystery starring a likable protagonist.

DCI Eve West is a veteran police officer who is suspended after a police operation goes horribly wrong.  She is surprised when John Duran, a murderer she helped put behind bars, contacts her with an intriguing proposition. In exchange for providing information that will clear her name, he would like for Eve to look into fellow inmate Sean Farrell’s possible wrongful conviction for murder. Eve is suspicious of John’s motive for helping her, but she decides to look into the ten year old murder of Jane McNeil.

Working with Dan Cooper, a journalist who co-founded 4Justice, Eve heads to Jane’s former  employer, Westerby Racing, which is also near where her body was eventually discovered.  Upon her arrival, she is shocked to discover her old childhood friend, Gavin Challis, is now married to Melissa Michaels. While Gavin has recently embarked on a political career,  Melissa, along with her brother Harry, run the family business. Will Eve uncover the new evidence she needs to exonerate Sean and thereby secure the information she needs to save her career?

Eve is a resilient, independent woman who deliberately eschews personal entanglements. She is a superb detective with keen instincts and she has no idea what she will do if she loses her job. Immediately throwing herself into investigating Jane’s death, she quickly learns the Michaels’ clan is not overly thrilled with the new interest in the case.  Harry reluctantly offers to assist her, but Eve soon realizes he is not as co-operative as he appears. Despite the Michaels’ lack of enthusiasm, Eve doggedly persists in locating clients and co-workers who interacted with Jane along with her former roommates.

While Eve concentrates on Westerby Racing, Dan is dealing with shocking discoveries back in the city. With the police focuses their attention on him during their investigation of a murder close to him, he begins to lose hope he will be able to find new evidence that allow Sean’s case to go to the Appeals court. Dan is also nursing a broken heart and he is dealing with his misery in a very unhealthy manner. He has been uncertain whether or not he can completely trust Eve so he is reluctant to share information with her.  Will Dan believe her assertion he can trust her not betray his confidences? Will his puzzling discovery provide the new evidence they need to exonerate Sean?

Despite a bit of a slow start, A Bad, Bad Thing is a clever mystery with a unique storyline. Eve is a strong woman who, although haunted by her past, refuses to let it define her. She is a brilliant detective who refuses to let anything, even her doubts about John’s intentions, interfere with her investigation. Dan is a flawed but likable man who is deeply dedicated to 4Justice. The investigation into Jane’s death is quite interesting and  Elena Forbes does an absolutely superb job keeping the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime completely under wraps until the novel’s action-packed conclusion. A marvelous beginning to An Eve West Mystery series that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of the genre.

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Filed under A Bad Bad Thing, An Eve West Mystery, Contemporary, Elena Forbes, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Severn House Publishers, Suspense

November 21, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: Cold, Cold Heart by A.J. Cross

Title: Cold, Cold Heart by A.J. Cross
Kate Hanson Series Book Five
Publisher: Severn House Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Professor Kate Hanson and the Unsolved Crime Unit unearth some shocking findings when they re-examine a 10-year-old murder case.

For the past ten years, David Lockman has been serving a life sentence for the murder of Della Harrington. Now an appeal judge has decreed the forensic evidence unsatisfactory and the original verdict unsafe.

Tasked with re-examining the case, forensic psychologist Kate Hanson and her colleagues unearth serious flaws in the original police investigation. But if Lockman didn’t kill Della Harrington, who did? As they question those involved, it becomes clear that not everyone is telling the whole truth. But have the detectives been working from the wrong assumption from the outset? In following her hunch, Kate makes a professional decision which undermines her colleagues, and threatens her very future with the Unsolved Crime Unit.

Review:

Cold, Cold Heart by A.J. Cross is a clever police procedural that is unique and quite engrossing. This newest installment in the Kate Hanson series can easily be read as a standalone.

When convicted killer David Lockman’s conviction is overturned, Dr. Kate Hanson and the rest of the Unsolved Crime Unit are assigned to investigate the ten year older murder of Della Harrington.  The original investigation was less than thorough so Detective Bernard Watts and Lt. Joseph Corrigan begin re-interviewing witnesses. Three suspects begin to emerge when they uncover troubling information about Letting Agent Leonard Dobbs, maintenance man Archie Fenton and Della’s fellow opera performer, Steffan Coultard. Watts and Corrigan are soon convinced Della’s murder might have been sexually motivated, but Kate is less certain. Will her psychological insights lead them to Della’s killer? Or will Kate’s impulsive decisions leave the UCU scrambling to solve the case without her input?

Kate is a forensic psychologist and university professor who provides invaluable information through her attention to detail and shrewd psychological interpretation of crime scenes and witnesses. She often picks up subtle clues that are overlooked and she is able to accurately assess if witnesses are being honest and forthcoming. Like Watts and Corrigan, Kate believes in Lockman’s innocence and they are determined to find justice for Della. However, she is unable to convince Watts that he is on the wrong track so she makes a fateful decision that has far-reaching implications for the case and her professional life.

Cold, Cold Heart is a suspense-laden mystery with a complex storyline and realistically drawn characters. Kate is a flawed yet sympathetic protagonist with a complicated history that continues to affect her choices in the present. Watts is a little brusque and stubborn but he values Kate’s contributions to the UCU.  Corrigan is an American police officer on special assignment with the UCU whose interest in Kate goes beyond professional. The investigation is fascinating and moves at a brisk yet realistic pace. With several possible suspects and no clear motive for Della’s murder, readers will be surprised and delighted when A.J. Cross brings the novel to a very stunning conclusion. Fans of the genre are sure to enjoy this latest addition to the Kate Hanson series.

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Filed under AJ Cross, Contemporary, Kate Hanson Series, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Severn House Publishers, Suspense