Book Review: Time of Death by Alex Barclay

FBI agent Ren Bryce's hunt for some of the country's most dangerous killers is about to turn into a nightmare. There is unfinished business between those she is pursuing, and soon she is forced to confront both personal and professional traumas.
Then someone close to Ren is murdered and secrets from her past look set to be revealed, throwing her into a world of fear, paranoia and danger.
Dark forces are at work and someone is determined to destroy Ren's life. But time is running out and Ren must catch a killer before he catches her...

I hadn't ready anything by Alex Barclay before but I very much enjoyed Time of Death. I've thought about this review for a while and I have decided not to talk too much about the plot as it would be far too easy to spoil it for others. The book is very fast paced though, we visit several locations but I think this just adds to the reader's understanding of how desperate Ren Bryce is to catch the killer.
FBI agent Ren Bryce made the book for me, she is an excellent character. Ren suffers from Bipolar as does one of my closest friends and Alex Barclay describes the condition perfectly whilst exploring how it would effect somebody with Bipolar to work is such a high risk and stressful job. Ren is chasing a killer whilst trying to protect her family which seems to be falling apart and also trying to keep the explosive secrets from her past well and truly hidden. I loved how Alex Barclay shows Ren's thoughts alongside the dialogue, it's like being let in on the secret of what she is actually thinking.
There is a lot going on in Time of Death and quite a few characters to keep up with. I sometimes find that a bit annoying but instead I was very impressed with the way that Alex Barclay brought everything together.
This is a proper page turner that I am sure will appeal to many readers. I really liked Alex Barclay's writing style and shall be on the lookout for her future books.

Many thanks to Harper for sending me this book to review, it is published today!

New to Dot Scribbles Shelves + GIVEAWAY Winner!!

I have been very lucky this week here at Dot Scribbles, lots of lovely books have been popping through my letterbox!
Four for review this week:

Wicked Games by Sasha Wagstaff (Headline Review- Published on 15th July) Dobonair and dynamic, millionaire Judd Harrington has returned from LA a glittering success. But as he stares across the valley at Lochlin Maguire's beautiful country house, all he can think of is revenge. Meanwhile Judd's arch-rival has troubles of his own. Lochlin's record label is losing major talent to an unknown competitor, his wife Tavvy is distracted and he can't seem to see eye to eye with his son Shay. Unbeknownst to Lochlin, his talented singer daughter Iris has fallen for irresistible racing driver Ace Harrington in LA. Ace is under orders from Judd to break Iris's heart. What he hadn't bargained for was losing his own in the process. Can he go against his father's wishes? Or will Judd's wicked games ruin love's young dream?

I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk (Harper- Published on 8th July) When Angela Clark's boyfriend Alex suggests a trip to Paris at the same time as hip fashion mag Belle asks her to write a piece, she jumps at the chance. But even as she's falling for the joie de vivre of Paris, someone's conspiring to sabotage her big break. And when she spots Alex having a tete-a-tete with his ex in a local bar, Angela's dreams of Parisian passion all start crashing around her. With London and her old life only a train journey away, Angela can't decide if she should stay and face the music or run away home...


Time of Death by Alex Barclay (Haper- Published on 22nd July) FBI agent Ren Bryce's hunt for some of the country's most dangerous killers is about to turn into a nightmare. There is unfinished business between Ren and those she is pursuing, and soon she is forced to confront both personal and professional traumas. Then someone close to Ren is murdered and secrets from her past look set to be revealed, throwing her into a world of fear, paranoia and danger. Dark forces are at work and someone is determined to destroy Ren's life. But time is running out and Ren must catch a killer before he catches her...


No and Me by Delphine de Vigan (Bloomsbury- Published on 2nd August) Lou Bertignac has an IQ of 160 and a good friend called Lucas who gets her through the school day. At home her father cries in secret and her mother hasn't been out of their flat properly for years. Then Lou meets and becomes friends with No, a teenage girl living on the streets, and asks her parents if No can come and live with them. No's sudden presence within Lou's fractured family has an explosive force that will change the lives of Lou- and her parents- for ever.

I only bought one book this week but it is simply HUGE!!


The Passage by Justin Cronin (Orion) Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for- and wishes to God he hadn't.
In Memphis, Tennessee, a six-year-old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her mother has abandoned her.
In a maximum security jail in Nevada, a convicted murderer called Giles Babcock has the same strange nightmare, over and over again, while he waits for the lethal injection.
In a remote community in the Californian mountains, a young man called Peter waits for his beloved brother to return  home- so he can kill him.
Bound together in ways they cannot comprehend, for each of them a door is about to open into a future they could not have imagined. And a journey is about to begin. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it means to be human. And beyond.

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GIVE AWAY WINNER!

The winner of my giveaway to win a copy of What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty has been drawn from a hat and the book will be going to:

Alicia

Please email me your address and I shall post the book to you at the weekend! Congratulations!!!