I absolutely love discovering new authors and Alex Coombs is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for 'Silenced For Good' and it certainly sounded like an interesting read. So without further ado, I grabbed my copy of the book, grabbed a cup of tea, sat down and started to read. Oh boy 'Silenced For Good' is a cracking read and then some. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Silenced For Good' but more about that in a bit. I wasn't quite sure what to make of Detective Hanlon at first and if I am honest she slightly scares me. She certainly has some anger management issues and she gets her kicks from using violence- often excessive violence at that. She's the sort of woman, who I wouldn't want to upset or meet down a dark alley, but then I am a bit of a wimp. Unsurprisingly Hanlon's conduct does not go down too well with her superiors and she is suspended from duty. So she tootles off on annual leave and gets away from it all. Hanlon can't escape the day job and something doesn't feel quite right to her. Hanlon starts investigating and secrets and skeletons come tumbling out of the closet. What happens next? Well for the answers to that question and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves t find out as I am not going to tell you. It didn't take me long at all to get into this book. In fact, as soon as I started to read I knew that this would be one book that I wouldn't be able to put down for very long at all. As a character Hanlon intrigued me and I had to keep reading to see if she was spot on about something not feeling quite right when she gets to her temporary accommodation. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as I got further and further into the story. I found that I had focus on the book alone as there was that much going on and I didn't want to miss a vital clue. Normally, I find it extremely difficult to concentrate for any length of time but not with this book. 'Silence For Good' was one seriously gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. 'Silenced For Good' is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention and much like a fisherman or fisherwoman landing a catch, he reels you in. At least that's how I felt. Once he has your attention he will not let you have it back until the moment you read the last word on the last page. Alex uses such vivid and graphic descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself. In short, I really enjoyed reading 'Silenced For Good' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Alex's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I always seem to be drawn to a good looking crime novel & the cover did it’s job of pulling me in far enough to read the blurb. DC Hanlon is an officer with a temperament that doesn’t always do her any favours. Suffice to say she has p*ssed off the powers that be & she is under investigation for an excessive force complaint. So under the circumstances she leaves behind her usual stomping grounds in the city & heads to the remote island Jura off the coast of Scotland for a break which may or may not allow her to relax while awaiting the verdict. This is where we the reader discover what Hanlon is really like, she is no shrinking violet, well we knew that from the force charge but add in she needs or craves violence, the lure to investigate, any hint of a crime & she will be there. She is a tough cookie who loves boxing & competing in triathlons, she comes across as leaning towards masculine tendencies which support her character flaws possibly. She is volatile but observant, she takes everything on board & it becomes obvious this is a skilled DC with a decade or two’s experience chomping at the bit to get back to her job. I think she has inner turmoil & this break away from it all could have been beneficial but as ‘luck’ would have it she seems to have landed amidst a mystery .. a body shows up on the beach, further events make her question what is going on & without long she seems embroiled in something she would really rather not be. Prepare yourself for a well thought out story complete with all the ups and downs associated with an intriguing plot, several characters to get your teeth into and enough going on to keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. A well paced story with a strong female character all points to a decent read for me. I enjoyed the internal conversations she has in her head with her therapist’, but above all it is the description of beautiful Scotland that intrigued me. Being housebound myself I appreciate losing myself out in nature where I can ‘see’ the magnificent scenery, hear the birds calling, feel the weather & happily wend my way into a magical world, made even better if there are a few criminal events along the trail! I read Silenced for Good voluntarily & I’d like to thank Rachel from Random Resources, the author, BoldWood books & Netgalley for my copy.

Suspended from the police force for assaulting a suspect, Detective Hanlon is told to take a vacation while the powers that be figure out what to do with her. She decides to visit the Scottish Island of Jura, where an old friend is now living. One of the last things she was told ... do NOT go looking for trouble. But wherever Hanlon goes, violence and death are sure to follow. Staying in a rather rundown inn, one of their staff is found floating face down in the sea. Local police want to call it an accident, Hanlon has other ideas. As usual, Hanlon decides to investigate on her own. Addicted to the violence of her chosen profession, she enjoys the rush, the danger that losing control allows her. She's been at this for a really long time and her gut tells her when something isn't quite right. In this newest adventure, the something not quite right extends to a possible crooked cop, a bartender who has spent time in jail, a chef who's wanting the owner of the inn where she's staying to see out to him, and various other possible suspects who randomly roam these pages. Several twists and turns keep the action non-stop until the very last explosive page. Author Alex Coombs has written more of this series under the name of Alex Howard. This is the 5th in the series and reads well as a stand alone. Many thanks to the author/ Boldwood Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.