Category: Susan Wilkins

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Buried Deep by Susan Wilkins – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

Megan has to climb round and step across the body to get a proper view. What’s left is like a chalk white mask in the rough shape of a face. The innocence is still there, and a hint of the cheekiness. But perhaps she is imagining that.

Detective Megan Thomas moved to Devon for a fresh start, after years spent undercover. She’s staying with her sister and swimming in the sea daily, battling the tides and letting the waves wash her past away. But she can’t outrun everything.

On her first day back, she’s called to a murder. The body lies deep in an underground bunker, and when Megan forces herself to look, it triggers a panic attack. As her heart races and her breathing stalls, she realises she’s not sure if she can go back to life in a regular crime unit. Her memories are too powerful to be buried – maybe too powerful to let her do her job.

But when another body is found on the stretch of beach where she swims every day, Megan remembers why she joined the force, and what she’s fighting for. The victim came to the police for help, and Megan knows they failed her. She won’t rest until she gets answers. But how can she find justice for others, when she’s no longer sure of herself?

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. It’s quite a while since I’ve read a book by an author I have read before and it was a pleasure to read book one in this new series by Susan Wilkins. Her previous series featuring Kaz Phillips was one that I enjoyed so had high expectations for this. I wasn’t disappointed, if anything it is better.

I liked Megan immediately, her interactions with her co- workers Vish and Brittany felt realistic. Her acceptance that with being older she was a little ‘out of the loop’ but she was good with them. Encouraging, supportive and a refusal to let them take the flack for her mistakes.

The reader is aware that she faced a life changing end to her previous role as an undercover officer. They are aware that she was lucky to survive, even though she had been left with some mental scarring. But that is all, nothing else is revealed apart from a fear of rats. I liked this, I expect that more will be revealed later in the series, as she gets to know her team more. 

I felt that whilst the two cases being investigated at the beginning it’s only in the second half of the book that they have more focus. They are there, but you see more about how the various team members interact with each other. You also see Megan’s sessions with her councillor, and the importance of her family. 

A very character driven novel, with some that I loved to hate. I’m looking forward to reading more.

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The Killer by Susan Wilkins – Review.

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About the Book

A glossy and gripping crime thriller about survival and vengeance, it puts the pedal to the metal as it hurtles through contemporary London, from the glass towers of the super-rich to the down and dirty backstreets of organized crime and blackmail.
She was a woman, so they thought she’d be easy to kill . . .
Kaz Phelps is on the run – from the past, from the legacy of her criminal family, from the haunting memories of her murdered lover. The police want her back in jail and her enemies want her dead. While standing by the grave of her gangster brother, Kaz realizes she only has one option. To fight back.
Nicci Armstrong was one of the Met’s best detectives until personal tragedy forced her to quit. Now she’s responsible for the security of the super-rich who use her city as a playground. She is one of the few people Kaz might trust. But Nicci’s biggest mistake yet is falling in love with a man she knows is only using her.
Meanwhile, as envious rivals back home plot against him, a Russian billionaire searches for a special gift to keep the Kremlin onside, a disgraced politician dreams of revenge and a Turkish drug baron plots to purge his dishonour with blood.

My Review

This is a series that needs to be read in order, it would be difficult to follow the storyline otherwise.
The Killer is the third and final part of the trilogy that features Kaz, Nicci and all the other members of the police, gangland communities and politicians that have appeared in at least one of the other books.
With it only being a couple of weeks since I read the second book, The Mourner I managed to get into this book straightaway. There are a lot of people who feature, many are from different countries and from all walks of life. It is easy to follow though.
The period of time covered by the trilogy is very short, the time between books two and three appears to be a matter of days. The opening chapter left me a little sad, the character we had to say goodbye to was one that I liked. The pace never lets up, there is danger, betrayal and suspicion all the way through for Kaz and Nicci. Even though most threads in the novels now seem to have been resolved I do hope that there will be future appearances for at least one of them in the future.
I don’t tend to read gangster crime, this is probably the only series that I have read. I have enjoyed it though. I liked both Kaz and Nicci, Kaz especially was a great character who had a nightmare childhood that she was determined to escape.
I will be looking forward to seeing what Susan Wilkins writes next, with many thanks to the publisher for all the books received.

You can purchase the book here

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The Mourner by Susan Wilkins – Review.

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About the Book

She can’t get justice; will she settle for vengeance?
Kaz Phelps has escaped her brother and her criminal past to become an anonymous art student in Glasgow. But can life under the witness protection scheme ever give her the freedom she craves?
Banged up and brooding, Joey Phelps faces thirty years behind bars. Still, with cash and connections on the outside, can an overstretched prison system really contain him?
Helen Warner, once Kaz’s lawyer and lover, is a rising star in Parliament. But has she made the kind of enemies who have no regard for the democratic process, or even the law?
Ousted from the police and paralysed by tragic personal loss, Nicci Armstrong is in danger of going under. Can a job she doesn’t want with a private security firm help her to put her life back on track?

My Review

The Mourner is the second book in the trilogy that started with The Informant. It’s a different type of crime series for me, with much of the focus being on Kaz. She isn’t a police officer, but a member of a notorious crime family. She has spent time in prison but since the events in the first book is living in witness protection in Glasgow. After the death of her former lover she leaves her safe but lonely existence behind and goes to London to get some answers.
I like Kaz a lot. She has had a hard life along with her brother Joey but she has managed to some degree to walk away from her criminal family. She is very much the black sheep and finds it difficult to trust most people but the ones she does she is very loyal to. Nikki is a former police officer who also featured in The Informant. Her life fell apart with the death of her daughter and the affect it had on her career.
It is a novel that doesn’t hold back. There is plenty of violence, much of which involves drugs and prostitution. There are gangs of different nationalities and untrustworthy politicians. But there is also bravery, loyalty and a determination to get justice. Some of the people who feature don’t always show true colours. A few who I expected to be ruthless were not as bad as I thought they would be. And of course, the ones who I expected to be genuine were not as they appeared.
A shocking ending that still had plenty of unanswered questions. I’m looking forward to catching up with the characters in The Killer that is published in a few weeks’ time. This is a series that needs to be read in order. It is probably the most closely linked one that I have read.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.

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The Informant by Susan Wilkins – my review

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The Informant is described as being similar to Lynda La Plante whose books I’ve never read but have seen adapted for the small screen many times.
This is the first gangster style novel I have read that is primarily told by a woman. Kaz is newly released from prison and on license for a crime that she didn’t commit. She wants to rebuild her life and make a career as an artist as well as distancing herself from her crime driven family.
I was a little unsure at first, until the first act of violence was committed. A crime that only a psychopath could commit.
Kaz was believable and very likeable. Not wanting to betray her family but not wanting to be any part of criminal activity either. The story is told from a few different people, Kaz, Helen, her lawyer,the police officers and various members of Kay’s family.
A cliff hanger ending which because of the delay I don’t have to wait too long to read.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me this copy to read and review.