HOMETOWN BOYS by Mary Maddox @Dreambeast7

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Mystery/character drama set in small town Illinois

I liked this book a lot.  It's listed under crime/mystery and women sleuths, and the plot is intricate, convincing and interesting, but it was the characters and relationships between them that kept me turning the pages without being tempted to skip-read.

Kelly Durrell returns to her hometown of Morrisson in Illinois when her aunt and uncle are brutally murdered, supposedly by her ex-boyfriend, Troy.  Although he has confessed, some people think there is more going on behind the scenes, and that Troy was merely a hired hit-man.  This storyline is interspersed with complications within Kelly's own family; gradually, the two intertwine.

The book begins with the murder, when Troy is egged on, and it is clear that others had an interest in what he is about to do, but as the story unravels it becomes clear that there is far more to it.  Mary Maddox paints the picture of claustrophobic, small-town life so well, from the depressing existence of Kelly's blinkered mother, to the criminal trailer trash, to the old schoolfriend who wanted to be a model but is now an overweight housewife.  In Morrisson, everyone knows everyone else's business and, more problematically, makes immediate and often uninformed judgements about it.

This is the sequel to Dark Room, which I read and reviewed for Rosie's Book Review Team back in 2016, i.e., so long ago that I might as well not have read it (I have a shocking memory), but this did not hamper my enjoyment or understanding of the plot.  There are a few instances in which it is clear that there was a book preceding this one, but enough information is given, in a concise fashion, for there to be no doubt about what is going on.  It might have been a good idea to put a recap in the front of the book, though, all the same.

The novel has a neat ending, with all threads tied up except one, that is left dangling.... for Book 3?  Nice one, I recommend. :)

DARKROOM by Mary Maddox

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Book Review Team

Darkroom is a slick murder mystery/thriller set in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado in the winter - the setting itself was a plus point for me. 

Kelly Durrell's friend, scatty, bohemian photographer Day Randall, is missing.  So is Marcus, the lover of Day's married friend, Odette.  Kelly knows nothing of the murky world inhabited by those surrounding Day and Odette, and isn't aware what she's getting into when she starts to make investigations. 

The story is told from the third person points of view of Kelly, and Animal, a bouncer from Cascade, a club owned by Day's former lover, Tyson.  Animal was a most appealing character, I liked him very much.  I thought the story was tidily put together, with the strengths being the characterisation of the minor characters (such as the awful Dustin) and the dialogue, which is excellent; I felt the author really understood her characters and what made each one tick.  The only one that didn't really come alive to me was Kelly, who seemed like a slightly bland vehicle for the plot, some of the time, but this didn't make me like the book less.  Tyson is sexy and sinister, Day lovely but infuriating, Welch revolting... the rest all came across so well. 

The plot itself did not throw up many surprises for me, but it's so well written that it kept me wanting to turn the pages.  Recommended for anyone who likes a sharp thriller ~ oh, and I smiled to see the mention of 70s band It's A Beautiful Day.  I didn't think anyone but me had heard of them, but perhaps that's a UK thing!