Stephanie Marland

You're always guaranteed a good read with a Stephanie Marland (aka Steph Broadribb) book so I was really excited to read You Die Next, the second book in the Starke and Bell series. I think it does read well as a standalone as there are enough references to the story in the first book, My Little Eye, to give any new readers the history of our leading pair.

I have to say that I read this book pretty fast to get my review posted in time for the blog tour, so I don't think I experienced it at its finest. I didn't really understand the point of urban explorers and what they get out of doing what they do. Having said that, what drives the story along for me are the strong leading characters of Clementine Starke and Dominic Bell. They aren't a traditional duo, being very much apart in this book, but I particularly loved how Clementine's character has developed; she's a bit like Darth Vader, being lured to the dark side.

Not only do we have the story of the urban explorers being picked off one by one with increasingly vivid and imaginative demises, but Clementine has a mystery of her own to solve: the death of her father. The reader is teased quite a lot by Stephanie Marland as Clementine starts to dig into her father's history and I loved how it brought Dom closer to her when he agrees to look into it. It definitely left me hanging and eager to read the next Starke & Bell book.

Vivid, chilling, ingenious and unique You Die Next is a superb instalment in the Starke & Bell series which I'm sure will become a firm favourite with crime and thriller readers.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (altro)

I consider myself a fan of Steph Broadribb's Lori Anderson series, so I was really excited to see Steph releasing her latest book, My Little Eye, in the name of Stephanie Marland. I don't want to get drawn into comparisons with Broadribb and Marland or Anderson with Starke but I'm rather glad that Steph has written them under different names as both characters are strong individuals in their own right.

I really liked the character of Clementine Starke. Aside from having such a cool name, she seems very vulnerable and damaged at first but blinking heck she's one tough cookie. I loved delving into her background as we get to know her as 'The Watcher' in an online crime group. Clementine is writing her thesis and wants to prove that an online group of super sleuths can solve a murder case quicker than the police, led by DI Dominic Bell. Dom has his own demons to deal with as he's being investigated by the IPCC after Operation Atlantis didn't go to plan. He's being pulled in different directions as he attempts to catch a serial killer whilst dealing with bureaucracy.

Clementine is accepted into a select group within True Crime London who attempt to catch a serial killer known as 'The Lover'. Clementine is studying the people in the group as much as she is trying to catch the killer. It is quite scary that anyone can create an online persona that is completely different to who they really are. Anyone can spin a web of lies on the internet to hide their true self so my heart was racing as the building of danger and suspense made me believe that Clementine could be in danger at every turn. Will she catch the killer before the killer finds her? Eeeek!

What a fast-paced page-turner this is. It's something so completely different from a police procedural serial killer hunt with an unlikely group of true crime aficionados examining the evidence and looking for clues. My Little Eye is so fresh and current; a brilliant whodunnit for the digital age. I loved it and can't wait for more Starke and Bell.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (altro)

Dominic Bell is investigating a case of women who have been murdered by a killer dubbed The Lover. Clementine Starke is a student who joins an online true crime group who aim to beat the police to catch the killer at all costs.

This book I randomly picked up and knew nothing about, dived straight in and was actually quite surprised how much I enjoyed it.

The plot itself was nothing out the ordinary but I enjoyed how the story evolved following Dom and his team but then Clementine and the online group. Both characters have past, enough infact for there to have been a previous book which there isn't. Both characters are drawn together and for me it was seeing which way it was going to go. There is another book out next year to continue with Dom and Clementine.

The story was pacy, but I wouldn't say edge of seat. The ending was quickly sorted which I enjoyed, rather than having pages and pages until the hero save the day. For me however the story was about the characters and I will certainly get the second book next year to see what is going to happen.… (altro)