Having never read Sherly Browne this is my second book by her following straight on from Book 1 featuring Matthew Adams. After the drama of book 1, I wondered how thrilling this second book would be, I was NOT prepared for it to be just as good as the first. With Patrick Sullivan gone from Matthews life he is trying to move on but there is somebody intent on making sure that doesn't happen. IN all honesty you don't need to know the minutiae of the storyline because I didn't and it made it all the more thrilling.

What I will say is that I read this book even quicker than the last one and the storyline was absolutely fabulous. The beginning of the story kicks off a nightmare scenario for Matthew and Sheryl Browne then keeps her foot firmly on the metal and the story never let up pace for a second. We see the return of Rebecca, Ashley and Steve all brilliant characters and although I don't want to give away spoiler's in terms of storylines I don't think you would be disappointed. I am thrilled I made myself read my older books as I am absolutely loving these ones and as soon as this book is done I am moving straight onto book 3! An absolute corker of a book and this and the last one I would highly recommend reading in order!

I got this book as a review copy from Netgalley. I had never read anything by the author previously but was gripped by the summary of the novel. It was worth a read but not gripping. I like books with a bit more suspense which unfortunately this book did not have much of. This was a follow up to a previous novel so maybe if I had read this first I might have appreciated the central characters more. I would not rule out reading further novels but felt this was fairly average.

This is the second book in the DI Matthew Adams series, and unfortunately I did not read the first book, so perhaps I missed some references to the previous books. However the book does read nicely as a standalone read. It is 3 years after the happenings of the previous book, and Matthew and the rest of his team has to deal with the aftermath of it, and the interactions between him and his colleagues and friends were interesting and revealing of his character. Very good read, highly entertaining.

After I finished the first book in this series, AFTER SHE'S GONE... I could not wait to start this second one. This was like riding a roller coaster, hanging on and screaming.

This book takes place 3 years after the ordeal they dealt with in the first book. You could read this as a stand-alone... but I highly suggest you start with the first book.

In this go around, Matthew has been set up. Someone, somehow managed to drug him, then brought in a working girl for some photos. He wakes up in a hotel room... he is covered with blood, and blood is splattered everywhere. He has very hazy memories .. but where did the blood come from?

He learns that the photos have been sent to his family, his boss, and to the newspapers. Someone is intent on making Matthew's life a living nightmare, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible. He can't prove he wasn't with another woman .. and he can't prove that he didn't hurt her .. or worse.

Will his family believe in him? Will his colleagues, those people closest to him? And who wants to see him suffer and possibly lose everything he has?

This gripping psychological thriller will keep you turning the pages even when you think you can’t take any more!

Many thanks to the author / Choc Lit / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Matthew Adams is once again haunted by Patrick Sullivan, a nasty individual with a vendetta.
Matthew has to clear his name and save his family.
A really enjoyable read, fast paced and left me gripped by the storyline. I enjoyed the first book too.

This is the second in the series and though you can thoroughly enjoy it without having read the first, I would recommend it is done in the right order. I enjoyed this so much I'm now going to have to read the first...! I have read and loved Sheryl's contemporary romances (Learning to Love and the Rest of my Life) so had no hesitation in reading this, even though it's a change of genre for me. Sheryl's writing is as easy to read as always, and her characters so brilliantly drawn you have to root for them. It is action packed and fast paced. A really thrilling read.

Sins of the Father is a brilliant sequel to After She’s Gone and starts 3 years later when Matthew and his family are rebuilding their lives after the horrors inflicted on them by Patrick Sullivan but the past returns to haunt them in the form of a girl determined to get revenge. Matthew’s determination to bury his emotions could cost him everything he holds dear because there may be only so much his loving wife Becky can take. This gripping psychological thriller will keep you turning the pages even when you think you can’t take any more!

Hand on heart I can’t say I’ve ever read a bad book from Sheryl Browne. In fact her writing just gets better and better.

In After She’s Gone we were introduced to DI Matthew Adams. We learnt how he’d suffered as a boy, being bullied and much worse, by Patrick Sullivan. The reason for such hatred? Because his father was a policeman. Sullivan was someone who matured into a hardened criminal; a psychopath intent on destroying Matthew in the cruellest most painful way possible – by targeting his family. I loved Matthew for his honesty, his bravery in the face of great danger and the way - given the stressful situations he was often put in - he coped with his asthma. For me he was the perfect hero.

Sins of the Father finds him caught up in yet another nightmare when he wakes up in a hotel room covered in blood and can’t remember how he got there. A body is discovered and Matthew finds himself on the run as he battles to prove his innocence. Who would do this and why do certain aspects of this murder trigger echoes from the past? Then his young daughter is kidnapped. This brings him face to face with the killer where an even more brutal fate awaits him.

I’m not going to give anything else way, only to say I became so immersed in this book that I stayed up until 1.20 in the morning to finish it - and I don't do that very often!

This story is a page turning white knuckle ride which left me even more smitten with DI Adams. I now eagerly await the next book in the series.

This is the second book in the DI Matthew Adams series and continues about 3 years after the events of After she's Gone. While not a hundred percent necessary, I think readers would get more out of this if the books were read in order. It would make it easier to understand the characters' relationships and what they have gone through before.
Matthew and his family have tried to move on, but somebody connected to their past is plotting some serious revenge. Matthew finds himself a wanted man and his family are once again put in danger.
What an emotionally exhausting thrill ride! Sheryl Browne continues to let readers look deep into the minds of her characters, but couples it with a bit more action this time. This really had everything. From heartfelt emotions to gripping suspense and even the odd bit of humour and 'aaaaw'-moment. It didn't even matter that it was obvious who the villain was. It's a book that can't really be classified in one genre, and it's done so well. There are bits of police procedural, psychological thriller, and hints of women's fiction with plenty of feelings. Ms. Browne is very skilled at creating loveable characters that are easy to root for but at the same time, she manages to construct nasty, broken characters you'll love to hate. But all her characters come across as credible. I love all of them, although Matthew is occasionally slightly grating with his constant doubts. His teenage niece Ashley is a really intriguing character and it was nice to get more of her mother, Matthew's sister, in this instalment. I'm not really sure where this series could go after this - luckily I'm not a writer - but I'm really hoping Ms. Browne isn't done with Matthew, his family, and his work colleagues yet.
Thanks once again to Choc-Lit for providing me with an ARC.

After the terrible events that almost cost them their lives, Matthew and his family are picking up the pieces. They're starting to feel normal again. Their little girl Mia is helping them overcome their pain and grief. Matthew and Rebecca have lovingly taken Ashley, Matthew's niece, into their home. Matthew still has nightmares at night and is struggling with the mistakes he made that put his family in danger. When Matthew and Rebecca are introduced to Ashley's friend, Jasmine, no one has any idea what she's been planning for a long time. Now that the law is no longer on his side will Matthew be able to unravel the truth before it's too late and when he is being accused of terrible things will Rebecca stand by him once more?

Matthew thinks he's useless. He's not opening up to his family and this stops his capability to come to terms with what happened in the past. He's passionate about his work and he's both determined and skilled. He is a cop with all his heart. I love how he is as a father and husband. Matthew is sweet, caring and willing to do everything for the people he loves. Family for me means sticking together and he did this and more for his sister and her daughter. He's truly a good guy. I was wishing for him to find peace and to accept the fact that nobody is perfect.

Rebecca is the strongest woman I have ever read about. She's such a loving mother and she truly cares for people. She's Matthew's rock and stands by her man. I'm in awe of her as a person. She has such a big heart and she'll go to hell and back if this means her family will be safe. She needs her bravery now more than ever, especially when she doesn't know if she can trust her own judgment. I kept hoping she'd discover the truth before it would be too late.

Sins of the Father is the second book in the DI Matthew Adams series. This story is raw and pure. It's gripping and the suspense was killing me. I love it when a book makes me feel many different things and really enjoyed Sins of the Father because of this. Rebecca and Matthew are rock solid as a couple. Their unconditional love for each other is what gets them through every time. They're one of my favorite couples to read about. Sheryl Browne always manages to surprise me, I love her thrilling stories.


Advice

Sins of the Father is an action-packed, gripping story which will keep you on the edge of your seat. Even though this book can be read as a standalone, to fully understand the story I'd recommend you to read the books of the DI Matthew Adams series in chronological order.

ts not necessary to have read the first book but hand on heart I can highly recommend it. Why deny yourself a great book!

This book sees our heroic character once again fighting not only for his life but his sanity too. Adams has never really got over the trauma of his run in with psychopath Patrick Sullivan and is trying his best to hold things together although nightmares still haunt him, with sleep providing him with no respite from the memories. However, he doesn't get a chance to heal as once again he's thrown headlong into a situation of horrific proportions and being forced once more to save those he loves while saving himself and trying not to lose the good person he is, despite being wrongfully accused of a terrible crime. There's a new psychopath in town, and she's hellbent on revenge and bringing Matthew to his knees. Can the love of his family be Matthew's salvation? Will it be enough to bring him back from the brink of self destruction? Or, is this a situation that he can find no way out of?

Once you read one Sheryl Browne book then you have no choice to keep reading more because they are so damn good! Sheryl did not disappoint with Sins of the Father. Good grief what a book! I'm a little bit tired today because I sat up until 2.30am to finish it! So, when my boss asks me why I look so exhausted today I'm going to blame Sheryl! This book has it all................suspense, thrills, jaw dropping moments and OH EM GEE moments! The characters are all so well formed and engaging and what a villain Sheryl has created in Jasmine! At one end of the scale you have this mad woman who will not rest until she has broken Matthew, and then at the other the sweet innocence of baby Mia who is simply adorable! Jasmine's cruelty made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and Mia had me all gushingly broody!

With an intriguing storyline the book threw in one or two surprises and unlike a lot of thrillers was in no way predictable. Very cleverly written and very face paced, hardly giving the reader a moment to catch their breath before the next surprise. Although Jasmine is a thoroughly hateful person, I was intrigued by how her mind works. What makes her tick and what drives her? Her blood lust and need for revenge is all consuming, affecting everyone in Matthew's life.

What an amazing story that had my heart racing. If you want to get on with your every day life then don't pick up this book because you will literally be glued to it from start to finish. A highly recommended read with WOW factor!

I've barely taken a breath for the entirety of the second half of this book, it has completely had me hooked, and I feel as though Sheryl Browne has completely bamboozled me with what I thought I knew and how it turned out.

This is the sequel to After She's Gone and although in theory it could be read as a standalone, I really think it would be best if you read the wonderful first book first, partly as its brilliant, and partly because it had been over a years since I read it, and I found it hard to re-connect to the characters at first, although things came back to me slowly. For that reason I can't fully judge how much this does work as a standalone.

I have nothing but armfuls of compassion for the incredibly unlucky DI Matthew Adams, so seems to have a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, with horrific consequences, not just for himself but for the entirety of his family.

We are introduced to the villain of the book very early on, and showed some things from both points of view, but the author was really careful in only giving us snapshots into the world of crazy! This person is cruel, calculated and seems determined to destroy Matthew.

Matthew also suffers from what appears to be crippling asthma, as a mild asthma sufferer myself, I am amazed at just how bad his condition is, but also amazed how often he didn't seem to know where his inhaler was. I make sure mine is always with me, and I barely need it thankfully.

I may though have made one vital mistake reading this book, I was at home alone, and kept thinking I could hear sounds in the house, which just added to the atmosphere of the read, but has left me jumpy as anything, and I am dreading going to bed as I have a feeling this will have an affect of my sleep or dreams! However this should just be seen as a compliment as to just how good this book is, in that it was making me feel that way.

Sins of the Father is a brilliantly crafted story, that ramps up the intensity as the book goes along, culminating in a thrilling finale and kept me guessing to the last few pages. The book is a pleasure to read at all times (well as much as a pleasure as being scared witless at points, and seeing horrible things happen to people can be), and really does justice to the continuation of the DI Matthew Adams story.

Thank you so much to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

DI Matthew Adams is slowly recovering from his last case that almost cost him his family and his life. Now he faces possibly the worst time of his life, as a police officer he is accused of a horrendous crime, doubted by those closest to him Matthew does what he can to protect his family.

This is book two in a series, whilst this can be read as a standalone I would advise reading the first as it gives you much better insight into the relationships and what they characters have already endured. Ooft this is a hard hitting book, it covers many subjects that can be hard hitting for some readers, abuse, rape, enforced drug use, kidnap, murder and that's just scratching the surface. There are many dimensions to this story, relationships and the strain and strength after something so horrific is unleashed upon one family.

I had questions from the previous book about Ashley and her imaginary friend which I felt I got a bit more clarification this time round although it is a very small part of the book. This book looks at the other side of false accusations, both as the victim and perpetrator which is usual and different. As second in the series you are always at risk of losing something especially if the first has been action packed, not so in this case. At times I felt myself holding my breath getting through some scenes, action packed, horrific and the tension rising as the scenes got darker. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to Netgalley for sending me a copy to review, all opinions are my own. I look forward to the next in the series and what the future holds for the Adams.

Detective Matthew Adams and his family are trying to get their life back to normal after a horrendous encounter with a violent serial killer. Then Matthew is accused of several crimes and even his family are doubting him - but he can't remember what happened. Will the truth come out and will the family survive the trauma? Great story that kept me gripped from the beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Sheryl Browne for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Just when I thought Sheryl Browne’s writing couldn't get any better she goes and does just that! Having read After She's Gone which blew me away. Sheryl then goes and pulls this corker of a story out the bag. Blowing me away for a second time…..what can I say but I freaking loved it.
In this story we catch up with Detective Inspector Matthew Adams who is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family. Patrick Sullivan might be out the picture but there is somebody else that wants to make Matthew’s life hell. But he finds himself accused of an horrific crime, will his family stand by him? And will he be around to help when his enemy goes after them has well.
OMG what a pulse racing roller coaster read this is. One minute I am on the edge of my seat then I am taken on a whirlwind of emotions going through all the feelings that Matthew is going through. I really felt has if I was part of the story. I have to say I really do have a soft spot for Matthew he doesn't seem to have much luck but he is a really lovely guy.
I am loving this dark side of Sheryl, and she certainly knows how to write a gritty engaging story that's for sure…. With a story that will have you hooked from start to finish. I cannot wait for the third book in the series.
This is a must read for fans of Gangland. Which I highly recommend giving it 5 well deserved stars.

I hadn't read After She's Gone - the first in the DI Adams series, but was not worried as I soon got into this story (which reads perfectly as a standalone - I have however now gone back and bought the first!)

Matthew and family meet Jasmine, a college friend of step daughter Ashleigh's at a wedding. Soon we realise something is not as it seems with her. Matthew witnesses a fight with her boyfriend and escorts her home to make sure she is safe.

Events take a sickening turn and Matthew wakes up in a hotel room which is covered in blood, and no real memory of what has taken place. He soon finds out though as text messages and phone calls reach him and he knows he's in big trouble, none of which he believes is his doing.

He fights the law and the bad guys to protect his family, going to any lengths necessary, and finding out awful truths along the way, but Becky trusts him and fights to clear his name while trying to keep her family safe - something they couldn't do before.

This was a well written and gripping thriller from Sheryl Browne. It had me on the edge of my seat and wanting to shout instructions to help them through the pages. I love how versatile Sheryl is as a writer, and how she engages her readers within the lives of her characters. I was rooting so much for Matthew and family from the start.

The ending was so poignant and sad, Matthew's character shining bravely through, it really made the story for me. Well done, Sheryl on a fantastic read!

When I reviewed the first book in this excellent series, After She’s Gone, I think it’s the only time I’ve ever got so excited about something gritty, graphic and violent – it’s just not my usual kind of reading, really. But it’s a tribute to Sheryl Browne’s excellent writing that I think she’s actually done it again – an edge-of-the-seat nail biter of a thriller that I enjoyed without reservation. It’d be unforgivable of me to give away any of the story line, but if you read the first book (not essential – easy to catch up) and think Patrick was a monster… just wait until you encounter the villain of this one!

“Edge-of-the-seat” is a bit of an overdone phrase – what I should have said was that this book kept me reading until the early hours of the morning, totally incapable of putting it down, shouting “don’t do it!”, pages turning faster and faster, with absolutely no idea how things would turn out for Matthew and his family. The author creates characters you really care about (good to see sister Kristen taking a more major role in this one…), with realistic relationships, emotions you feel, authentic reactions and emotions. It’s an absolute belter of a story, told by an author who most definitely knows how to put her readers through the wringer, and does it with ease and assurance. This isn’t a book for the squeamish or those of a tender disposition – it’s raw and nasty at times, and it might haunt your dreams. But I thought it was just wonderful…

After reading the first book in this series ‘After She’s Gone’ and rating it one of my favourites of 2016 I was full of anticipation for this one. Could it possibly live up to my previous ravings, keep me in suspense, fulfil the emotional void etc … well the short answer to that is “Hell Yeah!!”

DI Matthew Adams is back, take a deep breath and delve in to see what extraordinary circumstances he finds himself in this time. I would heartily recommend you read these books in order to get the fullest enjoyment but if you can’t this one has enough recaps to ensure you are kept in the loop and know what is going on.

After the horrifying events previously that very nearly wrecked Matt and his family, caused by an evil monster Sullivan I thought possibly this would be a slightly calmer read but within pages Matt is in desperate trouble again.

Following a brawl between a lad and a girl during a wedding reception that Matt and wife Becky are attending things rapidly decline. Matt finds himself the centre of an internet/newspaper scandal. Is he innocent or are the clues all pointing towards him being guilty? Can Rebecca believe in him totally and love him unconditionally (again) or will this rip his entire family apart. Foster daughter Ashley and toddler daughter Mia are his life now after Sullivan caused the death of another daughter Lily.

Will Matt be forced to choose between himself, Becky or his children? Who is it that is creating so much trouble for him and will his former cop friend Steve be able to solve the mystery?

I read this with a mixture of anger, hope, sadness and a growing love for Matthew. I felt utter despair and was trying to get to the end faster so I could fathom out how he would fare. Things sure look bleak … a story of utter devotion. How far would you go to either get revenge or protect those you love?

Ashley is growing up and has matured into a loyal ‘daughter’ .. Mia is just too cute for words. Some of her sayings really lightened the mood. Becky is made of strong stuff, not sure I could tolerate as much as her if I was in her situation.

So to sum up another blinder from Sheryl .. make some time, lock the doors, ignore everyone and disappear into the world of Sin! Fast-paced, full of tension and a fair amount of ewwww moments, rats in case anyone is wondering!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Choc Lit and of course Sheryl for my copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

For someone who hasn’t read the first book in the series I worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into this one but I did as it does re-cap on the first one a little bit. For me I loved how Di Adams would fight to protect his family so when he wakes up in a hotel room what is covered in blood and no memory of what has happened he know he has to find out what happened.

And with help of his ex-cop mate Steve he finally has some memories come back but only little bits he knows he helped jasmine back to her flat to make sure her ex-boyfriend wasn’t hanging to carry on what he started outside the party.

Becky Di Adams wife is at home with Ashley and Mia with no idea what Matthew is going through till Mathews boss rings and ask if she new where he was. And then she’s told about the video someone has posted of Mathew and some woman.

I couldn’t put this book down at times I enjoyed it that much I had to stay up late one night just to find out what happened I can’t wait for the next instalment of Di Mathew Adams and his family definitely a five star review from me.