Sins of the Father

Another fantastic 5 star release from the amazingly talented author Sheryl Browne.

Sins of the Father is the second instalment featuring DI Matthew Adams. I would recommend reading “After She’s Gone” first but it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Sheryl one again has given us a tense nail-biting thriller that will have you reading page after page, chapter after chapter. The characters are believable, and mostly likeable. After getting to know DI Matthew Adams and his family in the first novel I was rooting for them this time around and became so caught up in what was going on that I was in tears by the end of the book. The tension is unbelievable – NEVER before have I cried whilst reading a thriller. Sheryl Browne has a way of telling a story that really pulls you in and twists your heart with each scene.

This is a fast paced, gripping action thriller. As with all of Sheryl’s books I would suggest finding yourself a comfy chair, switch off your phones and get yourself a large glass of wine and some chocolate… you will need it!

Very good read, really enjoyed it. The plot kept me engaged all the way through the book, it was hard to put down. I enjoyed the story line and the characters, a solid 5 out of 5.

DI Matthew Adams once again chooses to not follow protocol, gets himself drugged and framed in a
sex video, and accused of murder and of rape. Fast paced with an abundant amount of suspense that started at the beginning and continued to the end. I did find that there was a lot of reference to happenings in the first book and as I had read that one as well it seemed excruciatingly detailed at times. However if you have not read the first book it is great to have it there. Well written with on going action and so emotionally charged at times I was brought to tears.
I enjoyed the read and highly recommend it to others.

Having just read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, After She's Gone, I really couldn't wait to start this one. Book 2 sees us back in the life of DI Matthew Adams, and his family.
​Becky his wife, Ashley his Niece and little Mia his 2 yr. old Daughter. What more can life throw at this family.
​Well, an awful lot as it happens.
​At a family wedding, still suffering from the trauma of them all being attacked by Patrick Sullivan, the Adams Family are  trying to continue with normal family life, whatever normal is.
​But normal family life isn't going to be possible when Matthew becomes an internet sensation, and not in a good way. A video of him has been posted on line, and has soon gone viral. With no recollection of what happened, its down to him to piece everything together and figure out what the hell went on. And why.
​Why is Ashley's friend Jasmine so intent on being a nasty evil piece of work.

​The character of Jasmine, I hated right from the word go, and it was around a quarter of the way through when I started to wonder if she was a certain person.
​I was proved right, my detective skills working full throttle, But I think that is because I read this book right after the first one, If I had left any time between books I don't think I'd have made the connection so early. Having guessed did not take anything away from the book, I think it added to the suspense of who was who and they whys behind the crimes committed.
​
​The author has done an astounding job with this book, characters you hate, that if possible I could have quite happily put my hand into my kindle and throttled Jasmine. But at the same time I wanted to love and reassure the Adams family that everything would be ok, of course it wasn't but I so wanted to support them.
I really was dragged into this book, and I have read this one like the first one, at every opportunity.
​I loved the story line and think it was brilliantly put together but this book took my mind away from everything other that what was happing in the book, it held my interest the whole of the way through it. I flew through the first quarter of the book, holding my breath wondering how the hell it was going to turn out.
Just brilliant, I can't say much more than Just brilliant.
​I eagerly await more from this author and I need to read more about DI Matthew Adams.

I absolutely loved the book. It is hard, emotional, disgusting but oh so beautiful

Just when you think it can't get any better...it does! This was yet another late night read because I simply could not put it down.

We're back with Matthew and Becky and another fraught and tense situation. I really could not see any way out for Matthew this time around and was getting very worried!

If you haven't read After She's Gone, read that first and then this one. This is a stand alone, but you'll miss a lot of details (and an incredibly good book!).

Thank you to Choc Lit and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Even after tragedy and the actions of a madman have touched one’s life – life does move on, simply differently than it might have been. For Matthew and his family things may have settled after the death of the vile Patrick Sullivan, but they certainly aren’t perfect. They’ve been blessed with a daughter, Mia, a sweet toddler and their niece, Ashley is settling in to the drama of the teen years but Ashley will always be more adult than teen, she’s been through too much in her young life to not be considered grown at this point. Matthew and Becky have not fared so well. Matthew’s inability to talk to anyone about what’s happened, not even to Becky is affecting not only his marriage but his career as well. His need to protect his family from any possible danger, even himself, will be the downfall to his marriage if he doesn’t change.

Attending a wedding should be a joyous occasion, not the prelude that it will be for the Adams family. Life will never again be what it was before this day is ended.

If you’ve read After She’s Gone and believed that the ultimate evil was embodied in Patrick Sullivan – you are very mistaken. I’ve used the words “chillingly brilliant” to describe this story to a friend – and I stand by those words. Matthew does what the good guys do, he saw a situation and stepped in to do the right thing… not knowing it was all a trap and he has just crossed over the threshold of his own personal hell. If there is ever a character who is the precise description of evil incarnate it is Jasmine. This woman has not a shred of human left in her. She is cold, calculating, ruthless, totally bat-crap crazy and she has an agenda, one that will deliver devastation to one family. Matthew will have everything stripped from him – his family, his career, his sanity as slowly, consistently, unendingly one horrific event after another is done to him, his family and his friends. Jasmine does not do subtle. She will mentally and physically torture Matthew and his family beyond what one believes a mind can handle. There will be reviews, I’m sure, that will give you every tiny detail of what is done to Matthew, Becky, Ashley, and Mia – but you won’t find that here. Sins of the Father is one of those stories that if you know too much going in to it you will not get the absolutely terrifying effect of the story flowing over you as the decent into madness and pain gains momentum.

I wars captivated by this story. Of how one human could possibly be so despicable without any feeling of doing something wrong, how every torture was justified in a truly sick mind is truly beyond me. I’m certain such people exist in our world, I hope to never meet one. Sins of the Father is difficult to walk away from until you’ve finished the last line. Just when you cannot imagine anything worse that can be done to this man – you are proven wrong. You will feel during this one. Tears will flow at times, although they may be tears of anguish or pity, or even sadness at how anyone could endure what this family will face. By the ending when everything is revealed (although you may guess some of it before then) you will have been through such an emotional wringer, have witnessed a truly chilling artwork of writing and discovered that you have the capability of utterly hating a fictional character with every part of your being. That says a lot.

On a slightly light note in the midst of this frightening review … I saw what you did there Sheryl *grin* In the middle of being frightened out of my skull I found myself bursting out in surprised chuckles when I read sweet Mia’s baby pronunciation of her favorite sweet treat… “choclit”. *glances up at the publishing house information and chuckles once again* I do not know if that was meant or just happened. But I noticed, and in the middle of all this I smiled and that mattered to me. So… well done.

If you are looking for a Mystery Thriller that will scare the socks off you, get your heart pounding and the emotions on their highest level – then have I got a book you should be reading. I would highly recommend Sins of the Father to any reader who enjoys a good mystery, and isn’t afraid to look evil right in the eye. Chillingly brilliant, so fast paced you’ll get whiplash and a look into the devious mind of someone who is truly evil and crazy with not one redeeming quality left in them… that all equals one pretty amazing, completely captivating story.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Thrillers aren't really my thing but I was offered this novel and having recently enjoyed another in the genre, and having even more recently read a women's fiction novel by this author and thoroughly enjoyed it, I felt I had to give it a go.
There's an awful lot going on in this novel, and all of it good. The plotting was complex and highly developed, and most of it took me completely by surprise. The whole thing was well put together.

I understand this novel is a sequel and although it can be read as a stand-alone (there are many references to the events of the past to aid understanding) I think I would have had greater enjoyment if I had read the previous book first.

Still, I enjoyed it and I would happily read more of Ms Browne's because of the quality of her writing and the sheer enter value.