Book Review - Cut Off by Mark Billingham

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Amazon UK

Title: Cut Off

Author: Mark Billingham

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Sphere

Publication Date: 1st February 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

It's the moment we all fear: losing our phone, leaving us cut off from family and friends. But, for Louise, losing hers in a local café takes her somewhere much darker.

After many hours of panic, Louise is relieved when someone gets in touch offering to return the phone. From then on she is impatient to get back to normal life.

But when they meet on the beach, Louise realises you should be careful what you wish for...

If you enjoyed Cut Off, try Love Like Blood, the latest novel in the series starring Mark Billingham's detective hero, DI Tom Thorne.

Would you believe me that this was my first book from Mark Billingham, and what a story it was. 

It really is a quick read at around 90ish pages, and took me the time I had my dinner one evening to read it. 

It has a terrifying concept behind it, when Louise manages to lose her phone.  After all I know if I was in that situation I would equally feel lost without mine.  

This was creepy, it had me gripped and gave me an excellent introduction to perhaps the tip of the author's dark depths.  There was good characterisation and I really did feel Louise;s fear.  

If you are looking for something slightly on the dark side, that really hooks you in, and really is a quick enjoyable read, and a great example of how a novella should be written, then look no further than Cut Off. 

Book Review - The Great Cornish Getaway by Fern Britton

Amazon UK

Title: The Great Cornish Getaway

Author: Fern Britton

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Puchased

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: 1st February 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

As the sun sits high in the sky over Cornwall, and the sea breeze brings a welcome relief to the residents of the seaside village of Trevay, a stranger arrives in need of a safe haven.

The fact that the stranger is a Hollywood heartthrob makes villagers Penny and Dorrie even more keen to help. They both know what it’s like to feel that you need a break from life, and they bring the village together to keep their stranger’s secret. It’s not long before he’s helping some of the villagers find the answers to their own problems. In return, they find a place for him in their hearts.

Pendruggan: A Cornish village with secrets at its heart

Wow that is certainly one quick read, I couldn't put it down and under an hour after starting it I was finished. If anything I would say the story was too short, as I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to end. 

Being a huge fan of Fern Britton and familiar with her Pendruggan setting, meant I was delighted to see a whole bunch of familiar characters. However even if you have never read anything by this author this is 100% a standalone novella, with a lovely storyline and warm writing that draws you in. 

This story features a very famous actor escaping for a few days in Cornwall, while hoping that people can be trusted with the secret that he is there. He just wants a break from his regular start studded life amongst good honest people. 

In just over 100 pages, there are laughs, drama, action, and some truly fabulous scenes in a story that was a joy to read.  This is another excellent book from Fern Britton and has proven to me she is one of the truly talented authors who can tell a great story in either 100 pages, or a full length novel, and still hook the reader in, and that is a skill set that not many have. 

Book Review - Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car by Vaseem Khan

Amazon UK

Title: Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car

Author: Vaseem Khan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Publication Date: 1st February 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

An enchanting Baby Ganesh Agency short story: a million-dollar car is missing. Chopra has two days to find it, or the gangster who bought it will not be happy.

The Premier No.1 Garage is the place to go in Mumbai if you want a luxury car. Even Mumbai's biggest gangster shops there - he's just ordered a classic race car worth millions.

But now the car is gone. Stolen from a locked room, in the middle of the night.

Who stole it? The mechanic who is addicted to gambling? The angry ex-worker? The car thief pulling off one last job?

And how on earth did they make it vanish from the locked garage?

Inspector Chopra has just days to find the culprit - and the missing car - before its gangster owner finds out ... and takes violent revenge.

Although I have been aware of the Quick Reads program for a few years, it has taken me until this year to actually get around to reading one of these books and I'm impressed. 

This is the first book Iv'e read also by Vaseem Khan but with this well crafted mystery made sure it won't be the last either.  

I spent the book scratching my head as to how a million dollar car can just disappear and enjoyed watching Inspector Chopra racing around Mumbai and the surrounds to try and solve this mystery. 

I had a whistlestop tour of Mumbai and had a feel for what life is like in India, while meeting assorted characters.  For a short story there were quite a lot of characters but it was all really easy to follow and the story was told in a logical fashion. 

However easily my favourite character was Ganesha, as lets face it you don't get baby pet elephants that often in fiction, and this one seemed especially smart and in tune with Inspector Chopra, a rather unique detecting partner. 

Really enjoyed this introduction to the series, and look forward to reading more books by Vaseem Khan in the future.