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Claire Ladds

Crime and suspense author

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Grab Some Fantastic Mystery, Thrillers and Suspense in December 2022

1st December 2022 by claireladds

Can you believe it’s December already?! Have you got your Christmas tree up yet? Mine is still in the box (apologies to you if you shudder at the thought of an artificial tree) but it’s going up today. As it’s December, it also means I now have the legitimate excuse to watch Hercule Poirot’s Christmas countless times!

If you fancy some new reads in the last part of the year, to take you up to the Christmas period (and beyond), then you might enjoy taking a look at what I have to offer you in this post. I’ve joined together with some other fantastic authors to bring you THREE promotions that run until the end of the year.

The Free Crime Fiction Black Friday Giveaway contains a whole load of books from some fabulous crime authors. And, yes, you don’t have to pay for any of the books you download. You’ll find my Darker Minds novella, Beneath the Flesh, in there, which you can only get by becoming a member of my Readers’ Club (and that doesn’t cost you a penny, either). So, if you want to grab yourself some free crime fiction, just hit the button below to go straight to this promotion.

Take me to the Black Friday Giveaway

The Black Friday Deals promotion does exactly what it says on the tin – it gives you the chance to find your next favourite read which range from free to $4.99. The books offered here are available on all major (and some smaller) e-book stores, so you should be able to find a crime, mystery, suspense or thriller on the store of your choice. Hit the button below to head to the Black Friday Deals. You’ll find my Darker Minds Crime and Suspense books popping up there, too, if you fancy one.

Let me see the deals!

Throughout December, we bring you the Mayhem and Motives: Mystery, Thriller and Suspense Reads. Loads of books are available in this promo on all the main stores, some in Kindle Unlimited, too, so you’re sure to find a book at a store or through a subscription that suits how you prefer to read your mysteries, thrillers, or suspense books. I bet you never guessed – you will find my Darker Minds books lurking here, too. So why leave yourself in suspense – grab yourself a mystery thriller that I’ve written, or that one of the other great authors in this promo has for you.

I want to investigate the December Mayhem and Motives

There you go – three promotions, joining together lots of talented authors and their books, and something to suit every price point, (including some books of mine!) I hope you find some exciting, twisty reads, full of murder, mystery and dark deeds.

Happy reading!

Back to HOME

Filed Under: News Tagged With: crime and mystery fiction, crime fiction, free read, psychological thriller, suspense fiction

OUT NOW! No Deadlier Time

3rd November 2022 by claireladds Leave a Comment

No Deadlier Time is OUT NOW!

I am thrilled to announce that you can now get your hands on the third book in my Darker minds crime and suspense series. No Deadlier Time, on many of the e-book stores. So if you read your dark and suspenseful fiction from Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and a host of other retailers, you’ll find it, sitting there, lurking, waiting… Or maybe that’s just what the ravens do in this story of murder, mystery, and psychological torment, all tinged with Gothic undertones. But is there a darker force controlling this – or is it all in the mind? I can tell you what each of the main characters think – but that would really spoil the book!

Let me introduce you to the most important people in the story, and see what you make of them.

Who’s who at Ravensmead?

HARRY ELDRITCH

Harry loves his wife, and is devoted to his best friend. Harry is susceptible to superstitions and the like, much to the amusement of his wife, Neve. But he has his reasons for owning a four-leaf clover, not walking under ladders and, in particular, being wary of the ravens and the beliefs that surround them. He left home a long time ago, refusing ever to go back there. But now it looks as if he has no choice. And no choice means fate has claimed him… but what is his fate – and will he survive it?

NEVE ELDRITCH

Neve is Harry’s wife of several years, and has known him since he was introduced to her by Mark Taylor years before. She’s happy, pregnant, and just wants one thing – for Harry to heal the rift between himself and his family. She doesn’t know what went on between them, but when the chance to get Harry back to his family home appears, she thinks this will be the perfect opportunity for them to create the perfect family life at Ravensmead. But she has no idea why Harry left in the first place, or what lies in store for them when they get there. Is reuniting Harry with his family going to be a dream come true or a nightmare waiting to happen?

MARK TAYLOR 

He is Harry’s best friend. Once upon a time he was in a relationship with Neve, but that was a long time ago. But feelings can’t always be buried, can they? His life is currently one of work, takeaways and failed – or more accurately – non-existent relationships. So, when Harry asks him to return to their childhood home of Ravensmead, he can’t think of a single reason why he would want to stay in Oxford on his own – and a number of reasons why going with Harry is the much better option. But is he going so he can help Harry with the business, and give him a shoulder to lean on, or does he have other motives?

JONAH ELDRITCH

He is Harry’s dad and, well, let’s call him a rather unpleasant chap. But he does have his reasons. From childhood, he has been told that his success and his fate lay in the hands – and the ticking – of the watch which has been passed down through his family for generations. We meet him in the prologue as a mesmerised sixteen year old, and in the book ‘proper’ as a 65-year-old man who is determined that his own son will not inherit anything from him (and, in particular, the watch). He is tormented by the darkness he believes comes from the watch, by the ravens which guard (or torment) the house, and by his own dark deeds. And the steps he takes to protect his son… they have consequences.

CLEMENCY ELDRITCH

Clemency is Harry’s mum, but they haven’t seen each other in years. She brought him up in a world of imagination, on the family library full of tales of mythology, folklore and beliefs. How much is fiction, she doesn’t know herself. Her life revolves around this library and her greenhouses, where she grows plants you’d be best not asking about! When she becomes afraid for Jonah, she writes to her estranged son and begs him to return to the family home and live there. But she doesn’t tell him the full story. Just maybe the whole horrific picture hasn’t yet unravelled for her. But it will…

RACHEL HAINES

Mrs Haines, sometimes called Rachel, is one half of the Haines couple who see to everything for the Eldritch household. And I really do mean everything. Rachel looked after Jonah after his father’s death and both she and her husband maintain complete loyalty to the family, no matter what happens. She is the eyes and ears of the house, the one to be trusted to do what’s best for the family, no matter what the cost – and she has her own secrets. In a house like Ravensmead, everyone has secrets. Rachel idolises Harry and there is nothing she wouldn’t do to protect him. Nothing at all…

And what about Ravensmead House itself? Why would Harry not want to return?

[Read more…] about OUT NOW! No Deadlier Time

Filed Under: Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, News Tagged With: crime and mystery fiction, Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, gothic fiction, psychological horror, psychological thriller, suspense fiction

Fancy a FREE Crime Read this August?

5th August 2022 by claireladds Leave a Comment

Do you crave crime fiction? Is suspense your secret reading sauce? If so, you’re in for a treat.

I’ve joined together with a whole host of other crime, suspense and thriller authors to bring you TWO fantastic giveaway promotions for the entirety of August. Nip over to the promotion home pages, choose your freebies, download your ebooks and (if you’ve time, after reading those), feel free to come back for more.

One of my books is in both the promotions, so if you don’t yet have a copy of Beneath the Flesh, here’s your chance to bag yourself a copy.

You can access the August giveaways using the buttons below.

FREE CRIME THRILLERS
AUGUST CRIME GIVEAWAY

Happy reading!

Claire 😊


Have you got all my books?

Darker Minds Crime and Suspense:

Show Me Dead

That Killer Image

No Deadlier Time

Hearts and Crimes (dark women’s fiction):

The Reason for Everything

The Secrets That Haunt Us

Filed Under: Free Reads, News Tagged With: august free reads, crime and mystery fiction, crime fiction, crime thrillers, free read, giveaway, psychological thriller, suspense fiction

Crime and suspense books for 0.99

10th June 2022 by claireladds Leave a Comment

Have you read my Darker Minds crime and suspense books yet? If not, then you might really like what I have to tell you. You can now get Show Me Dead and That Killer Image for 99 pence (or cents, or euros) each.

Both of these books are going to be in Kindle Unlimited very soon, so you’ll be able to read them with your subscription, if you have one. But if you don’t, or if you just love owning your own copy of the ebooks you read (like me!), then this is for you.

You can find Show Me Dead and That Killer Image on Amazon. (And if you prefer to read a paper copy, they’re available to buy in paperback and hardback, too!). The buttons below will take you straight to your Amazon store.

In case you don’t know, here’s what they’re about:

Show Me Dead:

The deeper you go, the darker you get. The stage is set…

Ripped away from her circus family and kidnapped, Angel finds herself the unwilling ‘guest’ in a dilapidated theatre, belonging to a man who calls himself the Puppet Master.

She’s not the only captive, either. All of the broken and terrified people below ground are forced to perform for a very darkly discerning audience.

When performers begin to go missing, no one knows why, or who will be next. Fear is growing and Angel intends to ensure one thing – that it won’t be her. What is happening here? Just who is the Puppet Master, and what does he want with her? Angel may well wish that she’d never found out. But is he really the one pulling the strings?

To save them all and get to the truth, Angel has to perform the darkest show of all. But truth comes at a price. And someone will pay…

That Killer Image:

Three people. One killer. And a picture that someone will die for.

When Vicky meets Anthony, she sees him as a happy distraction from her claustrophobic relationship with her housemate and self-appointed guardian, Fran.

Anthony already knows Vicky because he has been following her every move. She is perfect for what he needs – a model for the ultimate photo of his life’s work – and he will do anything it takes to get that shot.

But Fran is not so easy to get rid of. Haunted by the disappearance of her sister, and blaming herself, she is desperate not to make the same mistakes again with Vicky. And when push really comes to shove, she has other ideas about that killer image.

Beneath obsession lurks something more deadly…

If you do buy a copy of either book, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means the world to me. And, if you enjoy my books, a rating or a short review (even just a few words) is always appreciated, too, as it helps my books get seen by more people who might also enjoy them.

Enough of me babbling on – here are your buttons. Happy reading!

Buy Show Me Dead
Buy That Killer Image

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: 99 cent books, crime and mystery fiction, Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, psychological thriller, Show Me Dead, suspense fiction, That Killer Image

That Killer Image OUT NOW!

11th April 2022 by claireladds

I am delighted to announce that my new suspense novel, That Killer Image is OUT NOW!

Three people. One killer. And a picture that someone will die for.

When Vicky meets Anthony, she sees him as a happy distraction from her claustrophobic relationship with her housemate and self-appointed guardian, Fran.

Anthony already knows Vicky because he has been following her every move. She is perfect for what he needs – a model for the ultimate photo of his life’s work – and he will do anything it takes to get that shot.

But Fran is not so easy to get rid of. Haunted by the disappearance of her sister, and blaming herself, she is desperate not to make the same mistakes again with Vicky. And when push really comes to shove, she has other ideas about that killer image.

Beneath obsession lies something more deadly…

You can buy the e-book of That Killer Image from a variety of bookstores, and find it in subscriptions, such as Kobo Plus and Scribd. You can also order it from your library, including (excitingly) through Borrow Box! The paperback and hardback are coming soon…

Thank you so much to everyone who pre-ordered a copy. Your support really does mean the world to me. It was fantastic to wake up to find that the book had already landed on the devices of readers in different countries, and that it had been bought it from a variety of retailers.

If you haven’t got your copy yet, you can find it at your preferred retailer using the link below. I hope you enjoy reading That Killer Image!

BUY THAT KILLER IMAGE
That Killer Image by Claire Ladds

Filed Under: Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, My books, News Tagged With: crime fiction, Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, new release, psychological suspense, suspense fiction, That Killer Image

That Killer Image: Limited Time Pre-Order Price

31st March 2022 by claireladds Leave a Comment

I am thrilled to say that you now pre-order That Killer Image from (almost) all of your favourite bookstores! If you enjoy reading on a Kobo, or buy from Apple Books, read on your Kindle, or prefer Barnes & Noble (or others) as your go-to store, then you can pre-order That Killer Image. I am adding to the stores all the time, and I’m equally excited that this book will also be available on certain subscription sites.

That Killer Image is very much a psychological and suspense thriller. It releases on 11th April, and is part of the Darker Minds Crime and Suspense series, books which thrive on the premise that dark minds are at work, and sometimes it takes a darker one to stop them. Each book in the series is a standalone story, but they are all linked by this theme.

In case you’ve not yet come across the book description, here it is:

Three people. One killer. And a picture that someone will die for.

When Vicky meets Anthony, she sees him as a happy distraction from her claustrophobic relationship with her housemate and self-appointed guardian, Fran.

Anthony already knows Vicky because he has been following her every move. She is perfect for what he needs – a model for the ultimate photo of his life’s work – and he will do anything it takes to get that shot.

But Fran is not so easy to get rid of. Haunted by the disappearance of her sister, and blaming herself, she is desperate not to make the same mistakes again with Vicky. And when push really comes to shove, she has other ideas about that killer image.

Beneath obsession lies something more deadly…

I have loved creating the tense and tumultuous relationship between Vicky and Fran. Both have plenty of emotional baggage that impacts how they behave, and the decisions they make. But – I have to say it! – I have enjoyed creating the character of Anthony SO much! From the moment I read the first chapter he appears in to one of my beta readers, he was described as ‘creepy’. He’s an awful lot more than that, I can assure you!

For a LIMITED TIME ONLY, you can pre-order That Killer Image for a reduced price on all stores where it is available (around about half price, dependent on your country and exchange rates).

If you don’t want to miss out on this cheaper price, you can pre-order That Killer Image using the button below:

PRE-ORDER THAT KILLER IMAGE

Have you joined my Readers’ Club yet? Join to get EXCLUSIVE behind-the-scenes info and sneak peeks into forthcoming books before anyone else, as well as other Readers’ Club-only news and goodies. You’ll also get a FREE copy of Beneath the Flesh, a Darker Minds novella, when you join.

Ready to join? Click the button below to go to the signup page.

JOIN MY THE READERS’ CLUB

Filed Under: Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, News Tagged With: crime fiction, Darker Minds Crime and Suspense, psychological thriller, suspense fiction, That Killer Image

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I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other geographical Amazon sites such as Amazon.co.uk (as the UK is where I live). Please also expect to find other affiliate links, too. I only ever use affiliate links on products or services I have used myself and wholeheartedly recommend.

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