#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, I tend to choose books I know I will like, such as murder mysteries.

A BODY UNDER THE BRIDGE by P. F. Ford

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Love the characters & stories, and feel like I have been to Wales!’ Nancy

MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE DETECTIVE.

Detective Norman is out of retirement and back on the beat in a rainy Welsh seaside town. Llangwelli might be short on sunshine, but it’s certainly not short on murders . . . Norman may seem a bit old-fashioned, but he’s always willing to learn from his band of misfit recruits.

A lonely widower. A body in a stream. An impossible puzzle.

It’s an ordinary Tuesday morning when pensioner Alun Edwards turns up at Llangwelli station. He doesn’t want to make a fuss but he’s worried about his friend Gareth. Every Monday, they meet up for a game of chess. But Gareth wasn’t at home yesterday. He’s not answering his phone — and he’s left his dog behind. He’d never do that.

Detective Norman searches Gareth’s cottage — and finds a woman’s photograph, torn to shreds and dumped in the bin.

The next day, the body of an elderly man is discovered in a stream under an old railway bridge. The name on his bus pass is Gareth Jenkins. But that’s impossible. According to the pathologist, the body has been in the water at least three or four days. And Gareth was seen walking his dog, just two days ago.

Norman is facing an impossible puzzle. And what is the secret behind the woman in the photograph . . . ?

This absolutely gripping detective mystery full of twists and turns is perfect for fans of Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk, Pauline Rowson, Elly Griffiths, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.

READERS LOVE THE WEST WALES MYSTERIES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really connected with old-fashioned DS Norman and DI Southall and the rest of their team. A great read.’ Richard J.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I love the characters, the twists, the setting in Wales, and the cozy mystery feel . . . One of the best police procedural series I’ve read in a while.’ Tabby S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Loved it. A really good story.’ Aileen G.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A finely tuned police procedural that had me hooked from the first page. Lots of red herrings kept me guessing until the end.’ Shirley S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another terrific outing for the West Wales murder gang. I adore these characters.’ Kathy H.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another great detective story. I love these books.’ Kelly S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really took to Norman . . . He has the kindest heart, someone you would want on your side. A clever premise and a perpetrator who took me by surprise. An excellent read.’ Nicki

THE DETECTIVE
Meet DS Norman Norman. He’s so good they named him twice. He thought his policing days were over when he took early retirement. But then he gets called into Llangwelli Police Department to help train up the new recruits. Out on the west coast of Wales, the town is known as something of a dumping ground for screw-ups, but Norman believes no copper’s career is ever beyond salvaging, so he’s going to whip these youngsters into shape. Even if it kills him.

THE SETTING
Llangwelli (pronounced Hlangwelly) is a seaside harbour town in West Wales that sits on the edge of a wide, shallow river estuary. Thanks to West Wales’s rainy climate, verdant green hills dotted with cows and sheep make for idyllic surroundings. But that doesn’t mean it’s free from crime — as Norman is about to find out.

ALSO BY P.F. FORD
THE WEST WALES MURDER MYSTERIES
Prequel: A DATE WITH DEATH
Book 1: A BODY ON THE BEACH
Book 2: A BODY OUT AT SEA
Book 3: A BODY DOWN THE LANE
Book 4: A BODY AT THE FARMHOUSE
Book 5: A BODY IN THE COTTAGE
Book 6: A BODY UNDER THE BRIDGE

SLATER AND NORMAN MYSTERIES
Book 1: DEATH BY CARPET
Book 2: DEATH BY PLANE
Book 3: DEATH BY NIGHT
Book 4: DEATH BY KITCHEN SINK
Book 5: DEATH BY TELEPHONE BOX
Book 6: DEATH IN WILD BOAR WOODS
Book 7: DEATH IN THE RIVER

Author Bio ~ Peter F Ford
Peter Ford always dreamed of becoming a writer, but a dream is easily stifled without support from those around you. It was only when his old, unhappy life fell apart and he met his new partner (now wife) Mary, who believed dreamers should be encouraged, that he finally got the chance to live that dream. Fast forward a few years and you find a man transformed. 
Now, blissfully happy, settled in a quiet corner of Wales with wife Mary and their rescue dogs, P.F. Ford is living proof that it’s never too late to achieve your dreams.

My Review Omg what a trip to Wales this was. We need more Welsh based ones. This author is brilliant for red herrings and what seems to be loose dead ends but oh these are woven into a sticky web and revealed so fantastically in the end. With an old man missing and somehow his furniture too, will the neighbours be helpful? Did they like him? What is the connection of the solicitor and sister, are they innocent? I dare you to come along and read and find out the killer, you won’t be disappointed at all. Incredible read from start to finish, I had no chance of finding out who until the end!!

The Only Way Out is Death by Varun Gwalani



BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Book Details

Length: 295 pages
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Age Category: Adult
Date Published: 15 April 2022
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/a4LwJus (Canada)
https://a.co/d/5WHsCQl (USA)
https://amzn.eu/d/a5cWOjU (UK)
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60637434-the-only-way-out-is-death
The StoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9d2ca613-1ea8-4a63-b980-914f4bab6624

Twelve powerful people are kidnapped and imprisoned in an empty hotel.

Each one of them has three choices:
Live out the rest of their days peacefully in the hotel,
Die by suicide so the rest of their companions can go free,
Or murder one of their companions so they alone can go free.

The Only Way Out is Death follows the story of these twelve people from the perspective of a young lawyer, Kiriaki, told as the events unfold. She has to forge messy alliances, navigate complex relationships and feuds, and, above all, try to stay alive. Meanwhile, the mastermind of this death game is lurking just out of view, watching them closely, making sure they are primed for murder.

Will Kiriaki find the mastermind before it’s too late for her?
Will she outmaneouvre the cutthroats before they cut her throat?
There are twelve selfish lives in the hotel.
Will it end in twelve selfish deaths?

Author Bio

Varun Gwalani Is the author of six novels: Believe, The First Storyteller, The Story Circle, The Novel Year, Who Saves the Hero? and The Only Way Out is Death. Each book is a different genre, with his latest book “The Only Way Out is Death” being a murder mystery thriller.
In addition to being an author, Varun has been a teacher of creative writing and English for several years now. He’s an advocate for mental health awareness, having given a TEDx talk and written several articles on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Varun also loves reading, board games and video games, and he can often be find blending these interests by playing a visual novel. He would also like to tell you about the thing he hates the most: writing in third-person.

My Review As a firm fan of the film Escape Room, and the Cube. The book felt very similar so I knew I was in for a treat. I love seeing and working out what people would do under such circumstances, would you murder, would you sacrifice yourself and save others? The puzzle of it all definitely gives you the instant hook. Told from one Lawyers perspective, we see how the gravity of the situation gets processed with each of the characters. Though the characters aren’t particularly likeable or relatable, they are often shown in your life or you know of people like this. The writing style, the pace, the plot and ending was so sublime, I absolutely loved it. I need to read more from this author, and this should be a movie!!

#ADGIFTED all thoughts as opinions are my own, I try to choose the authors and genres of books I know I will like.

THE CHALK MAN by Adam Lyndon
MEET DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES IN THIS BRILLIANT BRITISH CRIME SERIES FROM A SERVING POLICE OFFICER, PACKED FULL OF TWISTS.

Barnes finally has the family he always longed for. But someone is coming for them . . .

Detective Barnes crouches down by the body near the seafront. Male, mid-twenties. The face is blue-white, mouth stretched open in a silent yawn.

Suddenly his eye is caught by an abrupt movement. A woman has fallen over on the pavement opposite. ‘Looks like someone’s feeling crook,’ says Howlett, his detective constable.

Then Barnes sees another person collapse nearby. A young man, fit. He hasn’t tripped. His body starts to convulse on the ground.

As panic spreads through the crowd, Barnes’s mobile rings. It’s Tamsin, his normally unflappable partner.

‘Barnes . . .’ She sounds frantic. ‘It’s . . . it’s Maggie.’

Barnes goes cold. ‘What about her?’

‘She was supposed to be at rugby practice. But she never showed up. She’s . . . she’s missing.’

His stepdaughter is missing — and Barnes has a very bad feeling about who might be responsible . . .

Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Helen H. Durrant, Peter James, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk or J.M. Dalgliesh.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DETECTIVE BARNES SERIES:

‘Packed full of unexpected twists and turns.’ Sheila M.

Pulled me in and held me to the end.’ Dawn T.

‘Cracking good police story. Complex and twisty.’ Joan

‘Very good and gripping.’ Kay C.

‘Some really convoluted twists and turns. I loved it.’ Rob

‘Excellent sense of place, strong characterisation . . . authentic and detailed police procedure, and a thrilling denouement’ Oliver T.

‘A real page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’ Mike B.

THE DETECTIVE
DI Rutherford Barnes is no longer the ambitious, idealistic young police constable he was when he joined the force. Ten years with the police has left him world-weary and a touch cynical. He’s a dedicated police officer, although he’s made mistakes, ruffled too many feathers during the course of his career — and is no longer on the fast track to promotion. No one has ever been brought to justice for the murder of his wife, and it remains a constant running sore.

THE SETTING
Set against the picturesque landscape of the South Downs, the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne is packed with tourists during the summer — but it can seem pretty dismal during the winter months. Only fifty-odd miles from London, the town is not immune to the violence which occasionally spills over from the city. Pockets of deprivation and criminality exist alongside reminders of Eastbourne’s more genteel past in the grand Victorian hotels that line the seafront, the pier and the bandstand. The town also boasts one of Britain’s best-known — and most infamous — beauty spots, Beachy Head.

THE AUTHOR
Adam Lyndon has been a serving UK police officer for more than twenty years, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations. ADAM LYNDON 
was born and raised in Sussex. He has been a police officer for twenty years both in the UK and in New Zealand, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations.
He went around the world a couple of times, living in New Zealand for a year before realising home was where all the stories were. Adam writes gritty, Eastbourne-based police-procedurals with hard-edged authenticity, forming a daisy chain along the south coast alongside the likes of Graham Hurley and Peter James. He has been married for twenty years and has four children. His ambition, as his children keep reminding him, is to own a dog. 
BOOKS BY ADAM LYNDON
DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES MYSTERIES:
· DEVIL’S CHIMNEY
· BEACHY HEAD
· BURNT OUT SECRETS
FOLLOW ADAM ON:
AUTHOR WEBSITE

My Review Want a fast paced action packed book this is for you, as we start it’s action immediately. We have a drug related death, and chemical substance attack, are they related? Barnes thinks so, he needs the evidence to convince the others there is a link, and things really kick off when his stepdaughter is abducted from school. The race is on, as the abduction isn’t grabbing the police’s attention like the chemical substance attacks are!! You will read in the manic state it’s written it, your heart will race and you’ll feel stressed along with the character, is he losing his mind, or is he right and it’s his nemesis behind it all? Catch your breath in the middle when the pace slows down, like a real investigation would do, to only gather in pace as we reach the conclusion. Perfect as a standalone book, but I feel you will benefit if you read the others, just to flesh out your knowledge of the characters and back stories. One to take on holiday

#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, I choose books in a genre I enjoy the most and usually by authors I know well.

MEET DETECTIVE HEDLEY SHARPE IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS. 

A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish. 

Day 1. Chloe Todd believes her baby daughter is sleeping peacefully in her pram in the back garden. She lifts away the blanket to check on her — and gasps in shock. 

Chloe’s neighbour calls the police. But all is not as it seems . . . 

Day 2. Superintendent Hedley Sharpe is called to a murder scene in the city centre. A body is discovered in a cellar beneath an empty shop. A single shot to the head. The victim has been dead at least a year. 

Day 3. A second body is found in the cellar next door. Again a single bullet wound in the head. But this time the body is fresh. 

Hedley Sharpe doesn’t believe in coincidence. The two murders must be linked. Then he uncovers a connection to young mother Chloe Todd — and the case takes an extraordinary twist. 

Hedley’s investigations will unearth a series of dark secrets. Secrets that reach back into his own troubled past. 

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths or J.M. Dalgliesh. 

READERS LOVE HELEN H. DURRANT’S ADDICTIVE POLICE PROCEDURALS: 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Full of suspense with a storyline that kept me guessing right up until the end.’ Annette T. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really good read . . . the perfect balance of investigation versus personal drama for the lead.’ Linda B. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The start of a fabulous new series from Helen H. Durrant . . . Brilliant book — I loved it!’ Charlotte M. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.’ Sandra G. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you turning page after page all the way to the end. Absolutely brilliant.’ Jill B. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another stunningly good police procedural from Helen H. Durrant. Fabulous plot and great characters, with everything I want from a whodunnit.’ Amanda P. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thoroughly gripping and suspenseful with an astonishing surprise. Not one to be missed.’ Carol S. 

THE DETECTIVE 
Superintendent Hedley Sharpe is a long-serving detective working for Manchester’s Major Crime Division. He is something of a rough diamond, but has an excellent clear-up rate.  A
widower, Hedley lives a lonely life, existing on fast-food takeaways. His wife Emily was murdered some years previously. Her killer was never caught. 

HELEN H. DURRANT – Author Bio
OVER 1.5 MILLION BOOKS SOLD!
Helen is one of the ‘baby boomer’ generation and began writing when she retired from her job at a local college. Born in Edinburgh to an English father and Scottish mother the family settled in a Pennine village between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is an environment which has shaped her stories. Writing is a second career and, despite having a bus pass, keeps her busy, and tuned in.
Helen’s children are all grown-up and she has five grandchildren.


BOOKS BY HELEN H. DURRANT
CALLADINE & BAYLISS SERIES:
· DEAD WRONG
· DEAD SILENT
· DEAD LIST
· DEAD LOST
· DEAD & BURIED
· DEAD NASTY
· DEAD JEALOUS
· DEAD BAD
· DEAD GUILTY
· DEAD WICKED
· DEAD SORRY
· DEAD REAL
DI GRECO SERIES:
· DARK MURDER
· DARK HOUSES
· DARK TRADE
· DARK ANGEL
DI MATHEW BRINDLE SERIES:
· HIS THIRD VICTIM
· THE OTHER VICTIM
DCI RACHEL KING SERIES:
· NEXT VICTIM
. TWO VICTIMS
· WRONG VICTIM
· FORGOTTEN VICTIM
· LAST VICTIM
DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE SERIES:
· THE GUILTY MAN
· THE FACELESS MAN
· THE WRONG WOMAN
· DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE BOOKS 1-2
DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI MYSTERY SERIES:
· THE ASH LAKE MURDERS
BOX SETS:
· DETECTIVES CALLADINE & BAYLISS BOOKS 1-3
· THE DETECTIVE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES BOOKS 1-9 BOX SET
· DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOOKS 1-3
· THE COMPLETE DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOX SET
· THE DETECTIVE RACHEL KING BOOKS 1-3
· DETECTIVE MATT BRINDLE DOUBLE-BOOK BOX SET
· JOFFE BOOKS MURDER MYSTERY & SUSPENSE SHORT STORY COLLECTION
FOLLOW HELEN ON
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
GOODREADS

My Review A new series to get my teeth into, I’m feeling spoilt, I love Helen’s storytelling and the pace of her books. Doesn’t feature police procedure as much as other crime books, but still weaves a crafty web to ensnare you for hours and hours at a time. First we start off with every mother’s nightmare, their sleeping baby has vanished from the pushchair outside (remember we all used to do that), where could they be, and is everything as it seems at home? We also have a body found in a cellar, gunshot to the head, and the following day a freshly deceased body has been found in the cellar next door! Also with a bullet to the head. They have to be connected surely? I could say it’s not as gritty and graphic as some books, but I actually prefer it to be more of a cosy style mystery. A wonderful crafted piece, and I can’t wait to see how these characters unfold over the series, it’s giving me something to look forward too.