A Review for Dead Silent (Poppy Sinclair #2) by Sharon Jones

Posted by Jess
Release Date: February 6th, 2014
Finished Date: February 2nd, 2014

Publishers: Orchard Books
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery/Suspense
Source: For Review

Format: eARC
Pages: 336

Buy: Amazon UK / The Book Depo

A snow angel etched in blood. An elite society. A secret dying to get out.
​
The second Poppy Sinclair Thriller.

When Poppy Sinclair and her boyfriend visit snowy Cambridge, she doesn't expect to discover the body of a student - arms outstretched in the act of smearing bloody angel wings on the chapel's floor.

Suddenly, Poppy is faced with the possibility that the one closest to her heart might be the one committing the most malicious of crimes.

Dodging porters and police, dreading what she might find, Poppy follows the clues left by a murderer bent on revenge...

Long-hidden secrets are chillingly revealed, an avenging angel seeks forgiveness and red-hot vengeance must be quelled in the amazing new Poppy Sinclair thriller.

Review: I absolutely loved Sharon's first book, so when I was informed that it was available on Netgalley early I was eager to get it and start it. 

Dead Silent totally didn't disappoint me, it was just as good as book one. We are back with Poppy who is in Cambridge with her boyfriend visiting the college and her father, when she and her boyfriend get caught up in sinister murders around the practically empty campus. 

This book, just like it's predecessor had me from page one and I just simply could not put it down! Sharon Jones has a real knack for mystery stories that will keep you guessing until the killer is finally revealed, I honestly thought it was someone else to begin with before the true murderer was revealed. Dead Silent is fast paced and full of edge of your seat moments that will leave you wanting more.

There is some real development in this one with Poppy and Michael, their relationship comes a long way in this book and certain aspects are handled just as they should be in a YA novel. Dead Silent is so full with tension, that you are left with yourself turning page after page.

Although it had a good ending, it did feel sort of rushed, and a little easy in the end once you pieced everything together, but overall not a bad ending to a mystery, the ends are tied up and the characters move on. 

If you are looking for a good YA mystery thriller then this is a good one, this or the first book in the series. It'll leave you wanting more, and I genuinely look forward to the next Poppy Sinclair mystery. 

It's a 4 star from me :)

Blog tour for Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones: Review + Giveaway

Posted by Jess
Release Date: July 4th, 2013
Finished Date: May 5th, 2013

Publishers: Orchard Books
Source: For review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 320

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

People think of Mother Nature as a gentle lady. They forget that she's also Death...Sixteen-year-old Poppy Sinclair believes in quantum particles, not tarot cards, in Dawkins, not druids. Last summer, in a boating accident in the Lake District, Poppy had a brush with death. But the girl she finds face down in Scariswater hasn't been so lucky. 

As she fights to discover the truth behind what she believes is murder, Poppy is forced to concede that people and things are not always what they seem and, slipping ever deeper into a web of lies, jealousy and heart-stopping danger, she comes to realise - too late - that the one thing that can save her has been right there, all the time.

The Review: Wow. Actually astounded with how much I enjoyed this book. I don't normally seek out YA thrillers/crime books, but when the publishers where offering this little baby up for grabs to review, I couldn't say no. I'm glad I didn't. It was a great book, one that I actually couldn't put down! 

I really very much liked everything about this book, especially Poppy, it was great being in her head, she's a great protagonist, one that you instantly like. You really just get swept up into the story and everything that Poppy goes through you feel and experience that as well.

It was really nice to read a book set in England, it's such a nice change and the way Sharon Jones manages to captivate the reader with her descriptions and development of the story made it an even better reading experience for me as whole.

As far as romance goes, it's more sub-plot and it seems unrequited, although it is a mutual feeling it isn't discovered by the two until things get tense and come to blows. Overall the there was enough underlining romance to keep you wanting more and rooting for the two loves. But mostly Dead Jealous is very much centred around the plot and the mystery unravelling around Poppy and her friends. It took me a while to figure out who the killer was, in the end I wasn't overly surprised because when said killer was found out I sort of had a bad feeling about that person anyway. 

As a first book Sharon Jones has done incredibly well with Dead Jealous. It's one of dark mystery, betrayal, danger and suspense, with a little romance and some comedy just thrown in to turn it up a notch.

Overall, really enjoyable read, very fresh and addicting from the get go. One that I would recommend to anyone who's a fan of YA mystery/thriller books. If you enjoyed New Girl by Paige Harbison, you'll most definitely love this one too I most definitely am looking forward to another Poppy Sinclair mystery. Very much a solid 5 stars from me.

This book was given to me by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Extract (Prologue):

It was a good place, a peaceful place. The kind of place where the past could lie, forever.

At the foot of the hill the lake was frozen in a dead calm, a dark mirror reaching the clouds that rolled in above. Not that those weirdos down at the festival would be turning in any time soon. No, they’d be partying into the early hours, but still, best to do it now, rather than wait.

Do it now and get it over with. The earth was waterlogged after two days’ rain. It would be heavy going, but that was OK. Good, honest hard work: burying the dead. Took an hour to dig a hole deep enough and dark enough that not even the full moon could penetrate. But still, her stiff pale hands were visible against the lacy black dress. And her eyes...her eyes were open, shining like silver coins. Staring.Watching.

Sods of clay rained down until she was properly hidden, until there was nothing but trampled-down earth to remember that either of them was ever there. Shit. What if someone noticed she was missing?

No. It would be OK.

8 People got lost all the time. Especially people like her. It was a good place for her. A peaceful place. A place to be forgotten.

GIVEAWAY!

I bet you're intrigued now! Well you can be in with a chance of winning a copy of Dead Jelous. Just fill out the rafflecopt form below. There are 3 mandatory entires and 2 optional entries. The winner will be announced at the end of the month by email, they will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be picked.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Review for Dead Jealous by Sharon Jones

Posted by Jess
Release Date: July 4th, 2013
Finished Date: May 5th, 2013

Publishers: Orchard Books
Source: For review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 320

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

People think of Mother Nature as a gentle lady. They forget that she's also Death...Sixteen-year-old Poppy Sinclair believes in quantum particles, not tarot cards, in Dawkins, not druids. Last summer, in a boating accident in the Lake District, Poppy had a brush with death. But the girl she finds face down in Scariswater hasn't been so lucky. 

As she fights to discover the truth behind what she believes is murder, Poppy is forced to concede that people and things are not always what they seem and, slipping ever deeper into a web of lies, jealousy and heart-stopping danger, she comes to realise - too late - that the one thing that can save her has been right there, all the time.

The Review: Wow. Actually astounded with how much I enjoyed this book. I don't normally seek out YA thrillers/crime books, but when the publishers where offering this little baby up for grabs to review, I couldn't say no. I'm glad I didn't. It was a great book, one that I actually couldn't put down! 

I really very much liked everything about this book, especially Poppy, it was great being in her head, she's a great protagonist, one that you instantly like. You really just get swept up into the story and everything that Poppy goes through you feel and experience that as well.

It was really nice to read a book set in England, it's such a nice change and the way Sharon Jones manages to captivate the reader with her descriptions and development of the story made it an even better reading experience for me as whole.

As far as romance goes, it's more sub-plot and it seems unrequited, although it is a mutual feeling it isn't discovered by the two until things get tense and come to blows. Overall the there was enough underlining romance to keep you wanting more and rooting for the two loves. But mostly Dead Jealous is very much centred around the plot and the mystery unravelling around Poppy and her friends. It took me a while to figure out who the killer was, in the end I wasn't overly surprised because when said killer was found out I sort of had a bad feeling about that person anyway. 

As a first book Sharon Jones has done incredibly well with Dead Jealous. It's one of dark mystery, betrayal, danger and suspense, with a little romance and some comedy just thrown in to turn it up a notch.

Overall, really enjoyable read, very fresh and addicting from the get go. One that I would recommend to anyone who's a fan of YA mystery/thriller books. If you enjoyed New Girl by Paige Harbison, you'll most definitely love this one too I most definitely am looking forward to another Poppy Sinclair mystery. Very much a solid 5 stars from me.

This book was given to me by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.