'The Naturalist' - Read it with the lights on!

Sometimes it's almost too easy to measure the worth of a book, one method I use is called the 'Rinse and Repeat'.
It goes like this:

I read the last words of a book & probably fumbling with excitement, click into my Kindle store, search the book or author and immediately buy either the next in the series, or just another book by the same author.

As they say, money talks, and my dollars are saying

 'You, my Dear Wordsmith, are doing it right.'

(They are also saying.... have you heard of the library???)

Andrew Mayne is onto that kind of cash cow winner with his Naturalist Series and I have devoured both book one, 'The Naturalist' and last night book two, 'Looking Glass' (after which followed a VERY bad night sleep....my tip would be do not read either of these in bed).

Today I am reviewing 'The Naturalist' because, well, first things first!

'The Naturalist' describes itself as a Thriller and yep, it lives up to its' genre tag with a plot that revolves around gruesome animal (?) maulings and a serial killer who the authorities remain stubbornly blind to (picture a group of uniformed officers with their hands over their ears chanting 'LA LA LA').

Mayne deftly drags his reader through a series of ever escalating scenes of horror, his narrative pace accelerating off the blocks from paragraph one, as our hero, Professor Theo Cray, is taken into custody on the suspicion he has murdered a former student.

Sadly for Cray, this experience is probably the best thing that happens to him for at least 300 pages.

A scientist (and possibly a borderline sociopath), Cray is driven hard by his analytical mind and his 'scientific' world view provides a believable basis for his increasingly extreme behaviour over the course of the book.
Cray barrels through the plot with the momentum of a freight train , committing crimes against  common sense, his own body, other peoples bodies, decency and finally the law in his efforts to avenge his students death.
Problem is, for all his genius, he just cannot make himself heard; written off initially as grief stricken and finally as a creepy crackpot whose toes are inches from the line (spoiler alert... he crosses it;).

'The Naturalist' is an immersive read and I only managed to come up from its depths a few times; once to check the locks on the door (and if I'm honest, under the bed). If you like your reads fast paced, creepy and don't mind some graphic (scientific) description then I highly recommend this series to you.

Best thing is, there is a third book on the way!

As always, happy reading (with the light on). xxoo LMK

To buy and read, please click through the following links and you will support my reading and blogging habit:)

Amazon US

Amazon Australia

Amazon UK

Amazon Canada

My Romance with 'The Obsession' by Nora Roberts

It is true, I am a word glutton.

As far as the seven deadly sins go, I am sure this is one of the less 'deadly'; after all, my endless pursuit of wordy calories doesn't hurt anyone (other than the occasional assault on my families taste buds when I cook, book in one hand, spoon in the other).

This being the case, it should come as no surprise that I LOVE to listen to audio books when I travel.

There is nothing better than an audio book to take the 'trial' out of travel, turning distance to cover from a burden to benefit.

On a long journey, a really great plot will transport your mind to an alternate reality, even as your car transports you to your destination.

Living, as I do, in Australia, the distances are VAST and the opportunities for word feasts are many (yay).
Normally, when I choose an audio book, it is to see me through a trip of at least ten hours; meaning when I've achieved my 'there and back', so has the story.
Recently however, I downloaded a book to keep me entertained for a solo drive of a mere three hours. 

My book philosophy? Take your reading (or in this case being read to) opportunities when they arise, however small.

As my travelling companion, I chose 'The Obsession' by Nora Roberts, who I have come to adore as the author of the 'In Death' series under the pseudonym 'J.D Robb'.

 I was optimistic she would not disappoint me. Supremely confident that she would deliver a book that was sexy and intricate; one that could make the passing hours seem irrelevant in the face of the unfolding story.

'The Obsession' delivered on my expectations and then some!
I was quickly lost in the plot, creeping though the dark and frightening chapters with Robert's heroine, Naomi Bose.
Naomi, a mere 'twelve on Monday' saves a young woman from death at the hands of a depraved (is there any other kind?) serial killer. 
Needless to say, her life will never be the same.

'The Obsession' follows Naomi as she grows from adolescent to woman, indelibly changed by her encounter with evil.


Composed, self contained, beautiful and artistic, Naomi dares to set down roots in small town America.
First home, first love, can she have a normal life; or is that a shadow of evil we see passing over her sun?

Here's where my story gets intense!

You see, I'm dating this audio book. Our relationship is rather one sided, 'The Obsession' is always available when I hop into my car (I seem to be strictly a travel listener).
Our first date was long and satisfying; you get to know a book after three hours in its' company!
Dates two through seven, were rather shorter; but still amazing. Snippets of intrigue and romance delivered over twenty minute listening sessions.

So here I am, deeply in love with this relationship, conducted solely in the privacy of my car. Sad to know it will have to end soon.
Fact is, I don't yet know if Naomi can have it all; but I am having the BEST time finding out.

If you are travelling soon, why not jump into your own audio book romance! I highly recommend 'The Obsession'; after all, I'm not the jealous type:)

As always, Happy reading! 
xx LMK


P.S The narration is by Shannon McManus and it is 'on point'.

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Buy it, Listen!

Amazon.com

Gone Girl: Why you should get on the Band Wagon too

Talk about a late bloomer, finally I am on the 'Gone Girl' band wagon! 

For a self confessed reading addict, I really cannot explain this delay as other than a lapse in judgement. More telling perhaps, is that it took an afternoon drive time radio show to push me over the edge (over edge into reading that is....I went over the other edge years ago :).

Thank heavens for drive time! Gone Girl is well worth the hype it has generated in the years since its release (maybe that's why I hadn't read it, too much hype?).

An intense and startling novel, 'Gone Girl' is so crammed with icy cold suspense that I nearly broke my golden 'never read ahead' rule.

Problem was I had an urgent need to know..... let me explain with a quick non spoiler review.

Nick and Amy are young, married and in love when their perfect life starts to come apart. After losing their jobs and discovering Nick's mother is dying from cancer they move from New York to the vastly 'different' Missouri to care for her.
Problem is Amy is desperately unhappy with the move and Nick copes by becoming ever more distant from his struggling wife.
In the midst of marital struggles, the unthinkable happens and Amy disappears without a trace.

All to soon suspicion falls on Nick, after all, isn't it always the husband? As a reader, emerging details rocked my faith in Nick as well, is he the good guy he seems, or an abusive and cruel husband. Hence my issue, I HAD TO KNOW.

Some advice, follow my rule. DO NOT read ahead to see, you will ruin this book for yourself. Don't do it. Just don't. (Also don't google 'Gone Girl' either... not every site avoids spoilers).

One definite 'do' is: Do read 'Gone Girl'. Gillian Flynn has created a taut psychological thriller that will deliver surprises, shocks and SUSPENSE right through to the gut wrenching end.

To read Gone Girl now, download to your free Kindle app from amazon via the following link:

'Gone Girl' By Gillian Flynn

Happy Reading!

'Brilliance': Marcus Sakey's Irresistible Series

It has happened.... my luck has finally run out! I was on a 'series' roll, every series that I discovered and loved (with a major exception... you know who I'm talking about Mr George R R Martin) being complete and whole and satisfying..... and I repeat, finished!
No wondering for years what the heck was going to happen after the cliff hanger ending, just a seamless trip to the buy button on my Kindle to buy book 2 and 3 (and in some cases 4 and 5).

But reading Karma has caught up with me in the form of 'Brilliance' by Marcus Sakey. Bottom line is this, I read book one (loved it), book two (loved it a bit more) and then..... what is this? Book three is yet to be released?

What is there to do but inflict my pain on the world with a BIG recommendation for this fantastic series.

Set in an alternate reality where a small minority of 'Brilliants' (people born with extraordinarily developed abilities, such as reading body language, seeing patterns in numbers and systems etc) find themselves regulated and even hunted by the majority of 'normals'. Problem is, the regular man on the street has moved beyond being intimidated by the potential of these people, to being afraid of a world where they are always outwitted by their more 'Brilliant' brothers and sisters.

Caught in this evolutionary battle, Federal Agent (and 'Brilliant') Nick Cooper has spent his career hunting rogue Brilliants; but what if his mission was based on lies? Will the truth set him free or plunge him into a battle to save civilization from imploding into chaos?

You guessed it..... chaos it is!

With a cast of great characters and plot lines skillfully interwoven into a fast paced whole, 'Brilliance' is a must read for all lovers of Thrillers and conspiracy books alike.

'Brilliance' is available for purchase from Amazon.com through the following link:

'Brilliance' By Marcus Sakey

All purchases made through your Amazon account via this link will support 'Little Miss Kindle'.

The Profilers Daughter: A Criminally good Thriller

It is not too often that I give the cover of a book such a large pride of place at the beginning of my reviews, in this case however, I have made an exception.

Not because I think it is a particularly great cover either; I am honestly not really sure what is going on with the red nails and the fingerless glove, but I digress. I have given this cover priority for one reason only.....

If you see it.... I want you to buy it.

'The Profilers Daughter' by P.M Steffen, grabbed me by the brain and dragged me inside its pages within the first three pages of the book and sadly (for the rest of my life's responsibilities) did not let me go until I finished the last satisfying words. Then, three weeks later, I read it again!

If I had to characterise the 'what' that makes this such a great read (and given that I am writing book reviews, I probably do), I would say the following:

• Steffen has created a relative rarity in the crime thriller genre; a plot that is truly multi layered. The reader meets Sky Stone (the 'Profilers Daughter') and quickly finds themselves immersed in her life both past and present. Her deep personal losses, her frailties, romances, family and professional life. This is refreshing, we meet Sky outside of the context of the 'case at hand' and darn it if that does not make the reader 'care' about Miss Stone.
• The 'murderous' aspects of the plot rattle along at a fast pace; the sense of a pervading darkness and evil grows equally quickly and soon the reader and supporting characters alike become very concerned for the welfare of our (too) fearless heroine.
• Sky is wonderfully human, and her choices throughout the novel reflect this. She does some brave things, some silly things, hurtful things and wise things. I have to admit, I found her character to be relate-able and I love that in my crime fighting heroes!

Most importantly I would say I loved this book for the quality of the writing, I felt like I was reading a 'proper' book. A book I could proudly recommend to any book club, a book I could read and re read without its charm fading.

If you love a well written and sinister crime thriller, then please, please, read this one!

The Profilers Daughter is available for purchase through Amazon.com via the link shown below:

'The Profilers Daughter' by P.M Steffen,

Happy Reading

Jack Daniels: J A Konrath delivers a killer series

Who doesn't love a determined yet flawed detective? Who doesn't love a little gruesome mixed in with their mystery? Who doesn't love it when the aforementioned detective has their own series written by 'Thriller' King, J A Konrath?

Well obviously there are some completely 'reasonable' people who love none of the above, but I, happily, am not one of them.

If you share my love of the crime novel and you have yet to discover Jack Daniels, (the character, not the drink) let me do the honours and introduce you.

Forty something and divorced, with a love for late night infomercials and designer suits , Jack has found herself married to the job. Although quite an optimist, even Jack realises her life kind of 'sucks'. Her only real relationship (besides that with her mother) is with her partner Herb and less comfortably, with the serial killers that she hunts. 

Which brings us to the problem, the serial killers Jack hunts, seem as interested in her, as they are in their next victim...... and wouldn't it tie things up nicely for them if Jack could participate 'personally' in their quest for infamy?

Oh dear..... luckily for the reader, Jack brings nerves of steel and an unerringly accurate 'gut' to the table, a combination which leaves her 'one up' in most cases..... but not before we are all good and scared..... and thoroughly amused.
Witty dialogue and laugh out loud moments punctuate the novels, meaning that yes, even a 'scaredy cat' like me can read these at home, alone, at night, in a blackout..... and still sleep like a baby after.

A great fast paced series that kept me hitting 'buy' on my kindle to get next installment until sadly, I ran out of Jack Daniels books....

Get your hands on this chilling, thriling and funny series at Amazon.com via the following link:

The "Jack Daniels' Series; By J. A. Konrath