Audiobook Review: Born in Ice by Nora Roberts

Born in Ice
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Fiacre Douglas
Series: Born In Trilogy/Concannon Sisters Trilogy (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 38 minutes

Description: When the harsh storms of winter descend upon western Ireland, the locals stay indoors - and visitors stay away. Brianna Concannon's bed-and-breakfast becomes a cold and empty place. And that's fine with Brianna. She enjoys the peace and quiet, even when icy winds howl at her window.

This year, though, she's expecting an unusual guest: mystery writer Grayson Thane, from America. A restless wanderer with a dark past, he plans to spend the cold winter alone. Yet sometimes fate has a plan of its own. Sometimes a fire can be born in ice...

My Thoughts: Brianna Concannon runs a bed and breakfast in Western Ireland. She loves being an innkeeper and making a comfortable home for her guests. She sometimes regrets that she isn't making a home for a husband and children but tries to be content with her life. 

Grayson Thane is an American mystery author who comes to Brianna's bed and breakfast during the quiet winter season to write his latest mystery surrounded by the setting he has decided on for it. He's very successful as an author but doesn't have anything but a sense of wanderlust. He's always leaving people and places behind before he allows himself to get attached. 

They seem that they would be unlikely lovers, but a romance grows between them during their winter together. Brianna is willing to love even though she sees heartbreak in her future. Gray is much more reluctant to fall in love and decide that he has found a place to stay and a woman to love. 

While this is primarily a romance, discovered letters to Brianna and Maggie's father from a woman he fell in love with when Bri was an infant and the discovery of 10,000 shares of stock in a company Maggie's Rogan can't track down add plot threads of suspense to the story. 

I loved the setting, and I loved both Gray and Brianna whose damaged and empty spots found filling in each other. 

I bought this one from Chirp November 12, 2024, for $3.99. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: White King by Juan Gomez-Jurado

White King
Author: Juan Gomez-Jurado
Series: Antonia Scott (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (March 11, 2025)

Description: Antonia Scott returns in the explosive climax in this sequel to the international bestselling book and streaming series, Red Queen.

Antonia Scott has an unusually gifted forensic mind, whose ability to reconstruct crimes and solve baffling murders is legendary. She’s the lynchpin of a top-secret project, Red Queen, created to work across borders and behind the scenes to solve the most devious and dangerous crimes, those that are beyond the skills of the regular police forces.

But the Red Queen project is under attack on all fronts. Across Europe, its agents are murdering each other and cases from the past, long believed resolved, are rearing their deadly heads again. At the center of it is the mysterious Mr. White, who has been weaving a web around Antonia for a very long time. He is as smart and capable as her but, unlike her, he's a psychotic killer who has isolated Antonia Scott. Jon Gutierrez, Antonia’s protector and the only person she trusts, has been kidnapped. Antonia’s husband has been killed and her remaining family is in hiding. With Jon’s life at stake, Mr. White gives her a seemingly innocuous challenge: solve three crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice. The only way to keep Jon alive is to play Mr. White’s game, but can even Antonia win a game when she can only see part of the board?

My Thoughts: This is the third in the Antonia Scott series of thrillers. Antonia has an unusual mind. She has a spooky ability to put clues together to solve crimes. She also has a nemesis in Mr. White who is determined to beat her and prove his superiority.

The book starts with Antonia's partner Jon being kidnapped and then found with bombs wired into his spine. Antonia and Jon have to solve three murders with very short timeframes or Mr. White will detonate the bombs.

As they are rushing to solve the crimes - one a 4-year-old cold case and one not committed until they are on the scene - Antonia is putting clues together that lead her to the big picture; the picture that started for her when her home was broken into, her husband was fatally shot, and she was also shot. 

The key to this twisty thriller is Antonia who doesn't know how to relate to people and relies on Jon to humanize her. Fans of the twisty will enjoy this one. I don't recommend starting with it though. Start with RED QUEEN and continue to BLACK WOLF before winding things up with this one. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn

Kills Well with Others
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Series: Killer of a Certain Age (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (March 4, 2025)

Description: Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

My Thoughts: Our favorite retired assassins are back in the sequel to Killers of a Certain Age. When a former colleague is murdered, they are recruited in an off the books assignment to find out who killer her and take care of the problem. 

The case has echoes from an earlier assassination conducted by the quartet. A child of their target has decided to get even. They need to find the intended killer before they are killed. There is also a tie-back to another case in which Nazi loot, including a very valuable painting by Raphael, was the focus of an investigation. 

The four along with Mary Alice's wife, Billie's significant other, and a mentee are off to England, Italy, and Montenegro on the trail of the one who wants them dead and who is dealing for the long-missing art. 

I enjoyed this story and the comradery among the four aging assassins. I liked the way they cleaned up problems from the past so that they could go on to a new future. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Shadow Beasts by Nellie H. Steele

Shadow Beasts
Author: Nellie H. Steele
Narrator: Dana Allen
Series: shelving Magic (Book 1)
Publication: A Novel Idea Publishing (September 10, 2024)
Length: 9 hours and 38 minutes

Description: If Paige isn’t careful, her new job could land her in an early grave. Paige Turner’s zero-balance bank account demands she take on a new job, but she never expected it would be as Shadow Harbor’s newest librarian. Now the unlucky orphan is learning it’s not books she’ll be shelving…but magic. Dark, dangerous, deadly magic.

Her new position requires she keep the supernatural subworld at bay while retrieving and archiving magical artifacts from around the globe. If she fails, the world may just be doomed…but even trying could get her killed.

Teaming up with a snarktastic teacup dragon doesn’t seem to be helping, either. Paige still struggles to master magic and shelve supernatural secrets. And when her first assignment involves massive multiplication of a group of wayward werewolves, she fears the world may not survive her tenure as librarian.

Fans of The Librarians and Warehouse 13 will love this enchanting new cozy contemporary fantasy series. Buy Shadow Beasts now to start shelving magic today!

My Thoughts: This urban fantasy that begins a series was cute. Paige Turner is a clumsy, down on her luck, thirty something who has always dreamed of getting a job as a librarian. She is surprised when she is hired for her dream job as a librarian at the Shadow Harbor Library though since she is really underqualified. However, a charm bracelet that is the only reminder of the mother who left her in foster care identifies her as the daughter of a former librarian who disappeared. 

Paige is eager to do a good job, but she isn't at all sure what the job actually is. She finds out that her research assistant is a pocket-sized dragon named Dewey Decimal (pronounced De-see-MAL) who is filled with snark. 

When Paige is scratched by a werewolf, she needs a magical talisman to heal her which results in a worldwide search for clues and magical objects. They are pursued by enemies who want them to fail to find the magical objects they are seeking. 

Paige and Dewey find themselves in lots of harrowing situations before their quest is complete. 

The story has lots of action, interesting characters, and adventure. It was fun.

I bought this one from Chirp for $.99 January 19, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

The Four Queens of Crime
Author: Rosanne Limoncelli
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (March 11, 2025)

Description: In this debut mystery, DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Claudia Gray.

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library.

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer.

My Thoughts: It is 1938 and the four queens of crime - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham - have been invited to be co-hosts of a fundraiser for the Women's Voluntary Service. The event is set at the home of Sir Henry Heathcote who is a Baronet and industrialist and is attended by society's and industry's movers and shakers.

The four women arrive the afternoon before the event and note that there is some tension among the family members. Tensions escalate during the ball when Sir Henry manages to have acrimonious encounters with most of his family. 

However, all are surprised when Sir Henry's body is discovered in his always-locked library the morning after the event. It is apparent to all that he was killed while smoking a poisoned cigar. Because one of the guests is the Home Secretary, Scotland Yard is called in and DCI Richard Davidson and DCI Lilian Wyles are called in to discretely investigate.

The queens of crime are also investigating by being sympathetic ears for the family and staff. Wyles is willing and eager to use what the writers learn. Her partner is less enthusiastic. The investigation is full and landmines and most of the family have motives to do the family patriarch in. 

This was an entertaining mystery. I liked the insights of the authors and the mentions of their work. I liked the setting and the combination of real and fictional characters who make up the cast of this story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 4, 2025)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a lovely week with most days hitting the lower 40s Fahrenheit. The solar panels are (temporarily) clear and there are rather large patches of bare ground in my yard. However, a rain/snow mix on Tuesday and snow and wind on Wednesday are in the coming forecast. It is cooler today but still bright and sunny. 

Saturday, we test drove and bought a 2018 Subaru Outback. They wouldn't give more than a scrap price for the old one. We temporarily are a four-car family. Bill plans to try to sell the 2003 Outback since it is mechanically sound but has a rusting body. Some kid might enjoy it as a first car. 

I have been enjoying watching Braves baseball and am looking forward to a nice, long season. I've also been watching The Voice. 

February Report 

I read 25 books in February. Thirteen of the books were mine with eight from the TBR pile and five were rereads. Nine of the books were audiobooks including the first three Empyrean stories by Rebecca Yarros. I also read twelve books from my Review stack.

I added 37 books to my collection in February. Seventeen of my new books were audiobooks. Twelve of them were Chirp Audiobooks. Four were Audible Add-Ons and one was an Audible Daily Deal. I also added eleven review books. Almost all of them are still unread. 

I also completed my State of the Stack post. 

Read Last Week

• Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (Review; March 18) -- Science fiction novella which introduces Dorothy Gentleman, a futuristic Miss Marple, on a thousand-year space voyage. My review will be posted on March 12.
• A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (Review; March 18) -- Story of three women set in Malibu in 1956. One is an actress tainted with Communist leanings; another is a Displaced Person who is hiding secrets; the third is the sister-in-law of an agoraphobic screenwriter. My review will be posted on March 13.
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (Audiobook; Mine since January 21, 2025) -- Third in the Empyrean series of romantic fantasy stories. Excellent but with a cliffhanger ending. My review will be posted on March 22.

• The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Mine since January 2, 2025) -- Modern Gothic thriller which introduces Harbinder Kaur. My review will be posted on March 15.
• Do I Know You? by Sadie Dingfelder (Mine since November 18, 2024) -- Nonfiction book about sight, memory and imagination written by a neurodiverse newspaper reporter. Fascinating!
• Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove (Review; March 18) -- Urban fantasy mystery. This is noir set in the late forties or early fifties in an alternate LA with vampires, zombies, and wizards. My review will be posted on March 13.

• The Big Fix by Holly James (Review; March 25) -- Romantic Thriller with a little humor. My review will be posted on March 18.
• Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)

Currently

• The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (Review; March 25)
• Witness in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)

Next Week

• Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell (Review; March 25)
• Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly (Review; April 1)
• The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chen (Review; April 1)

• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (Review, April 1)
• Written in Stone by Paige Shelton (Review; April 1)
• The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson (Review; April 8)

Reviews Posted

• The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander (Chirp Audiobook)
• Born in Fire by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook)
• The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig (Review Copy)

• Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (Review copy)
• Deadly Games by Sally Rigby (Audible Plus)
• Between Two Strangers by Kate White (Mine)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West (Review; June 10)
• Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern (Review; July 1)
• Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee (Review; July 29)

Bought:

• Play the Fool by Lina Chen (Kindle - $4.99; Audiobook - $6.00)
• Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (Audible Daily Deal, $4.99)

• The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie (Chirp, $2.99)
• Bo Blackman: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (Chirp, $2.99)

• Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99)
• Death of an Old Sinner by Dorothy Salisbury Davis (Early Bird, $1.99)
• A Woman Without Lies by Elizabeth Lowell (Kindle Daily Deal, $.99)

What was your week like?

State of the Stack #162 (March 1, 2025)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.

1. The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig (February 25)
2. Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (February 26)
3. The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli (March 4)
4. Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (March 5)
5. White King by Juan Gomez-Jurado (March 6)
6. Code Word Romance by Callie Walker (March 8)
7. The Library Game by Gigi Pandian (March 11)
8. Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite (March 12)
9. A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (March 13)
10. Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove (March 13)

DNF

1.  

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Change of Heart by Dr. Cristina LePort (February 1)
2. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Stories by Heather Fawcett (February 4)
3. Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan (February 5)
4. The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (February 6)
5. No Comfort for the Dead by R. P. O'Donnell (February 8)
6. Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (February 11)
7. Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson (February 12)
8. A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough (February 18)
9. I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower (February 19)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Chow Maniac by Vivian Chen (April 1)
2. Skin and Bones by Paul Doiron (May 13)
3. Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney (May 27)
4. Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (June 10)
5. Them Bones by David Housewright (June 24)
6. Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (July 1)
7. Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern (July 1)
8. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (July 8)
9. Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee (July 29)
10. The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (August 12)

All TBR Review Books

March

• The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (March 25)
• Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell (March 25)
• The Big Fix by Holly James (March 25)

April

• Dead Post Society by Diane Kelly (April 1)
• The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chen (April 1)
• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (April 1)

• Written in Stone by Paige Shelton (April 1)
• Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd (April 1)
• The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson (April 1)

• A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper (April 8)
• One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (April 15)
• Blood on the Vine by J. T. Falco (April 22)

• A Lethal Engagement by April J. Skelly (April 22)
• Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro (April 29)
• How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin (April 29)

• Cold Burn by A. J. Landau (April 29)
• Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss (April 29)

May

• Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates (May 6)
• The Fatal Scroll by Eric Siblin (May 6)
• Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay (May 6)

• Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh (May 6)
• The Language of the Birds by K. A. Merson (May 13)

• Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala (May 13)
• No One Was Supposed to Die at the Wedding by Catherine Mack (May 13)
• Skin and Bones by Paul Doiron (May 13)

• Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong (May 20)
• The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson (May 27)
  

• Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines (May 27)
• Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts (May 27)
• Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney (May 27)

June

• One Final Turn by Ashley Weaver (June 3)
• He's to Die For by Erin Dunn (June 3)
• Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (June 10)

• A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari (June 10)
• Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett (June 10)
• Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (June 10)

• Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (June 24)
• Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell (June 24)
• The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard (June 24)

• Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath (June 24)
• Them Bones by David Housewright (June 24)

July

• Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (July 1)
• Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern (July 1)
• Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert (July 8)

• The Myth Maker by Alie Dumas-Heidt (July 8)
• The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (July 8)

• Fateless by Julie Kagawa (July 15)
• Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts (July 15)
• Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (July 15)

• The Last Wizard's Ball by Charlaine Harris (July 22)
• Give Me A Reason by Jayci Lee (July 29)

August

• Picking Up the Pieces by J. B. Abbott (August 12)
  
• The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (August 12)
• A Lethal Cocktail by Ciar Byrne (August 26)

September

• A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (September 16)
• Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen (September 23)

Audiobook Review: Deadly Games by Sally Rigby

Deadly Games
Author: Sally Rigby

Narrator: Clare Corbett
Series: A Cavendish & Walker Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Storm Publishing (March 6, 2019); Podium Audio (November 5, 2019)

Length: 7 hours and 29 minutes

Description: A killer is playing deadly games with local students… and the only prize is murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker has worked hard to get where she is. A single mother, she joined the police force when she was eighteen and never looked back… until one wrong move put her in jeopardy of losing her job. So when a serial killer starts murdering female students at a nearby university, she knows this is it: her chance to stop a killer and redeem her career… or blow it and say goodbye to the job she loves,

Aided (and sometimes impeded) by Dr Georgina Cavendish, a lecturer who steps out of the isolated world of academia when one of her students is murdered, Walker soon arrests the obvious culprit. Everything seems to have worked out…

… until another girl is murdered while Cavendish and Walker’s prime suspect is still behind bars.

Now, Walker is being removed from the case, replaced by someone a bit more ‘suitable’. But when Cavendish persuades her to continue working the case, the two women join forces to discover the truth and solve the mystery behind the killings… before Walker’s own daughter becomes the next victim of a serial killer’s deadly games.

A perfect mix of mystery, murder, and mayhem that will delight fans of police procedurals and serial killer-noir like One Lost Soul, The Snowdonia Killings, and What Lies Beneath. Deadly Games is the first book in the bestselling Cavendish and Walker crime fiction series by Sally Rigby.

My Thoughts: This first book in the Cavendish and Walker series introduces forensic psychologist Dr. Georgina Cavendish and Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker. 

When George stumbles on the body of a young female student while ducking behind a tree to avoid being seen smoking by a colleague, she decides that she needs to help the police in their investigations. DCI Whitney Walker who needs a success to balance the epic failure of a previous case, doesn't feel she needs and knows she doesn't want any interference by an academic toff. 

But this murder is only the first and the pressure is mounting on Walker to solve the case or be removed from homicide and reassigned somewhere else. Walker's attitude toward George gradually alters as she listens to what George has to say. 

When a suspect is arrested, both feel triumphant ... until a new murder occurs while their suspect is in custody. 

Now Walker and George have to find the real killer before Walker's boss removes her from the case. And, when Walker's daughter goes missing, the stakes are even higher. 

I liked this story. I found the new partnership to have some intriguing aspects. Academic and more than a little anal George doesn't seem like a likely colleague for Walker who is proud of her middle class origins and career success without a university degree. They do gradually learn to value their differences as the story progresses. 

Clare Corbett provided excellent narration to this intense thriller. 

I bought this one November 11, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Deadly Games by Sally Rigby

Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

Dr. Georgina Cavendish sat at an old oak table in her kitchen, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee, mentally preparing for the day ahead. 

Friday 56:

Millie wasn't such fun while she was here. So maybe the likeness was a tenuous one. If she'd been more cooperative, she might still be alive. 

I dug deep into TBR mountain and discovered Deadly Games by Sally Rigby. This is the first in the Cavendish and Walker thrillers. There are thirteen books in the series. I've had this one since November 11, 2022. Here is the description from Amazon:

A killer is playing deadly games with local students… and the only prize is murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker has worked hard to get where she is. A single mother, she joined the police force when she was eighteen and never looked back… until one wrong move put her in jeopardy of losing her job. So when a serial killer starts murdering female students at a nearby university, she knows this is it: her chance to stop a killer and redeem her career… or blow it and say goodbye to the job she loves,

Aided (and sometimes impeded) by Dr Georgina Cavendish, a lecturer who steps out of the isolated world of academia when one of her students is murdered, Walker soon arrests the obvious culprit. Everything seems to have worked out…

… until another girl is murdered while Cavendish and Walker’s prime suspect is still behind bars.

Now, Walker is being removed from the case, replaced by someone a bit more ‘suitable’. But when Cavendish persuades her to continue working the case, the two women join forces to discover the truth and solve the mystery behind the killings… before Walker’s own daughter becomes the next victim of a serial killer’s deadly games.

A perfect mix of mystery, murder, and mayhem that will delight fans of police procedurals and serial killer-noir like One Lost Soul, The Snowdonia Killings, and What Lies Beneath. Deadly Games is the first book in the bestselling Cavendish and Walker crime fiction series by Sally Rigby.