Having read books by this author before,I was still amazed at how it grips you and pulls you along. Bev and Doc didn't know what move to make next,what would backfire on them? Would doc be able to keep himself safe then? What a hero is Bev is! All those making her feel even more paranoid who were meant to be friends. They say keep your enemies closer after all...

Tightrope Marnie Riches

It is easy to say things like “I have loved all of Marnie Riches’ books” but I have. She writes in a style that I like to read. The stories always have a base in realism, with a hint of shock. She talks about things we know happen but would really not like to acknowledge that they do.

So, with the start of this new series I was expecting just that, plus her usual scattering of loveable rogue characters. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book starts with a bang, or should I say gangbang. A young prostitute is choked to death as a group of men, wearing animal masks, use her for their pleasure. The death is filmed and later makes its way onto the dark net. But, far from forcing the man who killed her into hiding, it empowers his self-fulfilling prophecy of a man who holds power over women.

Meanwhile 30 year old Beverly Saunders is trying to dig her way out from under the debris of a divorce. Her husband is using her psychological issues to keep her from seeing her daughter. She is trying to establish herself as a Private Investigator, whilst attending group counselling sessions to address her addictions, more about those later.

When the wife of a Member of the Shadow Cabinet bumps into her, and asks for help proving that her husband is having affairs she has to accept, not because she needs the money, because she sees the bruises on the wife and knows she has to help her.

This job is way above the type of investigations she’s used to running and as well as turning to observations and honey traps she needs to hack his electronic life.

Entre Doc, a friend from the counselling sessions who is addicted to strong weed and Lego. Yes Lego, the toy, brilliant. He is also a computer geek of the highest order.

The investigation puts both Beth and Doc in danger, but how much of it is real and how much of it is weed educed paranoia on Doc’s behalf.

To add to the illusions of danger somebody is playing with Bev’s head, using her OCD, moving things in her damp basement flat, not that anyone else would notice, but just enough to put doubt into her mind.

The story has many threads, all of them edgy, and all of them winding their way to a great climax at the end of the book. I can’t say more than that because, to do so, would ruin a good read.

I mentioned Bev’s psychological issues, and these are what makes her such a great character. She has OCD, she collects and makes origami figures, and she’s addicted to sex, often turning to a well know porn site for an afternoon of “stress busting”

She’s vulnerable, yet ballsy, she can be quite unsure of herself, yet she has a short fuse to a raging temper.

This series has legs, and I can’t wait to see which alley they take us down.

Pages: 384
Publisher: Trapeze
Publishing Date: 11th July 2019

How to describe this book? Darkly funny and with one of the wittiest and sassiest female leads I’ve read in a while.

Beverly Saunders is one gutsy lady. She’s had a rough time as a teenager and lost her dad to suicide, now she’s recovering from a failed marriage. She’s got problems and a hard shell because of it. Now living in a friends basement, she starts to help out other wronged women. If there’s anyone going to suss our your wayward husband or cheating boyfriend and even your weird boss, then this is that person. She takes on the case of a woman married to a government minister and it soon becomes apparent that as she investigates him, he is also the one under the microscope. Would you want your history to come out if you had such a colourful one as her? The title describes what happens next well - Beverly is on a tightrope throughout balancing and taking care not to fall into one hole, then another, then that trap..

It’s got that quirky Marnie humour and dark comedy and it all comes together very nicely indeed. There’s lots of Manchester locations and towns dotted around the area to take a peek at too.

Another tour de force from Marnie. Written around where i was brought up so i could easily envisage the locations.
I really enjoyed this and hope that this is the start another series that will draw us in keep us wanting just like the girl who...

Tightrope – Marnie Richies

This novel almost seemed like a “blind date” of a book for me, I knew what it was called, a little of what it was about but no idea on the cover. What swung it was the fact that it’s been written by one of my favourite authors. Marnie Richies isn’t scared to take on any topic in this novel there’s addiction and domestic abuse for starters. I must say that although these are sensitive subjects and that there are some rather graphic descriptions they haven’t been written about in a gratuitous fashion.

The main female protagonist Beverley Saunders had a rough time from her teens onwards, she lost her dad from suicide quite young and in effect she might as well have lost her mum, she was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard as she had demons of her own to fight. This really affected Bev leaving her with mental health problems, addiction and trust issues although it’s hardly surprising. But on saying that she is a gutsy lady with the heart of a lion and a mouth like a sewer their were times she literally made me laugh out loud with some of the things she came out with. I think that she’s as mad as a box of frogs and a very likeable character. Fingers crossed that we hear from her again.

All grown up now Bev is a down at heel PI, having been royally shafted by her ex-husband Rob and is living in her friend from Uni Sophie’s mould infested basement flat struggling to pay the rent never mind the other bills. Having just finished up a case her friend introduces her to Angela she’s looking for help with her husband. She’s a woman married to a bullying control freak called Jerry Fitzsimmons who just happens to be the shadow Science Minister. All she needs/wants is enough dirt on him to get herself a divorce and keep her children close.

I will be honest and say that I was more than a little surprised by a couple of the other female characters, I always thought I was a good judge of character as it turns I badly misjudged one, was almost completely wrong about the other and another that I disliked immediately. There were times when I wanted to shout at them to get a grip but then that’s easier said being an outsider looking in. At other times I just felt heart sorry for them and the situations they found themselves in.

There are a few male characters that you just can’t like no matter how you try. Most of them are just plain nasty. The Wolf and the rest of his crew the pig, the cockerel, the bulldog and the horse are in a whole new league of their own. Nearly all of them more than deserve their comeuppance and more. Doc on the other hand is the closest ally that she has even though he’s not the bravest of chaps. What he lacks in courage he more than makes up for in other ways he’s a proper tech geek, he is the only one who seems to have her back despite his own demons.

Whilst trying to find the evidence that Angela so desperately needs Bev has to keep her wits about her and to try to rein her temper in. Using what tech knowledge she has Bev sets out her stall to catfish Jerry on social media and it doesn’t take long before he bites. What follows next is a whole whirlwind of events, including debauched partying at a “sex house”, violence, origami and Lego. I know the mind boggles doesn’t it?

Although it’s not a particularly funny part of the story there’s a chapter involving a second hand toaster that sparks when it’s switched on. It had that feeling of knowing it was wrong to laugh at something but being unable to stop myself from having a good old chuckle. I think that was possibly favourite bit of this novel.

I’m going to stop here or else I’ll probably end up letting out too many spoilers suffice it to say that this is a full on book with something happening on almost every page. I’d definitely recommend giving #tightrope a shot.


Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group Trapeze

what a story what a book so hope another to this Bev is one sassy lady .who lives in her friends Sallys basement .she is a private investigator but she has took on a big case who is very high powered how this story unfolds is brilliant praise for this author. all she wants is her daughter hope but her ex took everything from her I so recommend and I love dock a must read