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Patrick McLaughlin #1
Beyond Evidence
In an alley way of the back streets of Glasgow there lies a decomposing corpse of a slain female baking in the midday heat. No one has found her yet, but medium Patrick McLaughlin knows she is there. It is not the first time he has dreamt of death... and he soon finds out that it is not to be the last.
Meanwhile, the local police start to request DNA samples from twenty something men in the bustling city of Glasgow where several bizarre murders have taken place.
Through a hunch and in the belief that the terrifying dreams hold the key to the identity of the murderer, Patrick works alongside the police to track down the predator before they can strike again.
The nightmares do not ease up and begin to tear at Patricks sanity and in the midst of the investigation, at what cost would Patrick have to pay to stop the killer striking again?
His friends?
His family?
His life?
Meanwhile, the local police start to request DNA samples from twenty something men in the bustling city of Glasgow where several bizarre murders have taken place.
Through a hunch and in the belief that the terrifying dreams hold the key to the identity of the murderer, Patrick works alongside the police to track down the predator before they can strike again.
The nightmares do not ease up and begin to tear at Patricks sanity and in the midst of the investigation, at what cost would Patrick have to pay to stop the killer striking again?
His friends?
His family?
His life?
230 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2012
18 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Emma L. Clapperton
4 books49 followersI write supernatural thrillers under Emma Clapperton and psychological thrillers under the pseudonym Alex Kane.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 18, 2016
I quite enjoyed Beyond Evidence and find it interesting that this theme of psychic detectives, police and those mediums/psychics that assist the police seem to be having a boom in fiction at the moment. This is the fourth book I have read already this year that carries off this theme, which is not an easy task to do. The balance needs to be just right.
Patrick is a medium, he connects with those on the other side and works alongside the police to track down a lethal predator killing women in Glasgow before they can strike again. His other half, girlfriend Jodie is also gifted with psychic/medium abilities and between the two of them they have one foot in this world and at times one foot in the next.
The dead girls want to be heard. The dead girls want vengeance. The dead girls are angry.
This cold serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow in search of his prey. No woman is safe on the streets anymore and the city is living in fear of the next attack. Working with the police is not easy for Patrick, he faces his sceptics amongst the team and finds he needs to prove himself to be all that he says he is and that he can help. The ending of the book had my full attention!
It's a good read with lots of twists and turns and an interesting plot, however as I said earlier this theme is becoming very popular and I fear the overall concept could get jaded in time for some readers. For now, I think the theme will be popular. My actual rating is 3.5 stars, it would have been a 4 star read apart from the fact that I did not find the book very memorable. I enjoyed the moment but it won't stay in my system. I would be keen to read the next book in the series to see how Patrick is developing and where author Emma L. Clapperton will take us.
Many thanks to Emma and THE Book Club for my copy of Beyond Evidence to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, and live author Q&A events come to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
Patrick is a medium, he connects with those on the other side and works alongside the police to track down a lethal predator killing women in Glasgow before they can strike again. His other half, girlfriend Jodie is also gifted with psychic/medium abilities and between the two of them they have one foot in this world and at times one foot in the next.
The dead girls want to be heard. The dead girls want vengeance. The dead girls are angry.
This cold serial killer stalks the streets of Glasgow in search of his prey. No woman is safe on the streets anymore and the city is living in fear of the next attack. Working with the police is not easy for Patrick, he faces his sceptics amongst the team and finds he needs to prove himself to be all that he says he is and that he can help. The ending of the book had my full attention!
It's a good read with lots of twists and turns and an interesting plot, however as I said earlier this theme is becoming very popular and I fear the overall concept could get jaded in time for some readers. For now, I think the theme will be popular. My actual rating is 3.5 stars, it would have been a 4 star read apart from the fact that I did not find the book very memorable. I enjoyed the moment but it won't stay in my system. I would be keen to read the next book in the series to see how Patrick is developing and where author Emma L. Clapperton will take us.
Many thanks to Emma and THE Book Club for my copy of Beyond Evidence to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thanks for reading my review! If you enjoyed it please leave me a “like” or a comment, I love to interact with other book lovers! For more of my book reviews, plenty of awesome books to win, and live author Q&A events come to: https://www.facebook.com/BookloverCat...
To follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/promotethatbook
June 22, 2017
Beyond Evidence is the first supernatural thriller in the Patrick McLaughlin series by Emma Clapperton, followed by Henderson Manor. I'm generally not a fan of ghost stories and so I was not quite sure what to expect, but I must say that on the whole I finished up quite satisfied by this read.
Set in Glasgow, the book starts off with the murder of a young woman in a backstreet alley. We soon learn that this is just one of a number of similar murders taking place there. We are then introduced with the main characters Patrick McLaughlin and his fiancee Jodie Jenkins, both psychics. They have the ability to communicate with the dead. They see visions, speak to, hear and dream of the dead.
Patrick begins to suffer from frequent, terrifying nightmares in which he sees contorted women trying to pass him some message. Reading news of the latest murder, he immediately makes a connection. The women he sees in his dreams have been murdered! He contacts the police and in come D.S. Preston and D.C. Lang. These are sceptic, but desperate for a lead on these murders, decide to give Patrick a chance to work with them.
We do know the killer’s identity and his motive behind the killings early on in the book. He is surely determined to continue in his killing spree. Will the police with Patrick's help track him down before he murders even more women? Will the spirits of the murdered women be able to finally rest in peace? How far is Patrick prepared to go to release himself of the plight of these spirits?
For a debut novel this was a very good book. It is quite pacey, with realistic characters and dialogue, twists and turns and ongoing suspense. Patrick and Jodie are very likeable, intriguing characters who are also featured in other books by the author. I would maybe have liked to learn more about the two detectives and their lives and work as even though they are interesting characters, I think the author did not go into enough depth about them and their part in the investigation. Other than that I really enjoyed reading this book right up to the end.
With thanks to Sarah Hardy of Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part in the blog tour of this book.
Set in Glasgow, the book starts off with the murder of a young woman in a backstreet alley. We soon learn that this is just one of a number of similar murders taking place there. We are then introduced with the main characters Patrick McLaughlin and his fiancee Jodie Jenkins, both psychics. They have the ability to communicate with the dead. They see visions, speak to, hear and dream of the dead.
Patrick begins to suffer from frequent, terrifying nightmares in which he sees contorted women trying to pass him some message. Reading news of the latest murder, he immediately makes a connection. The women he sees in his dreams have been murdered! He contacts the police and in come D.S. Preston and D.C. Lang. These are sceptic, but desperate for a lead on these murders, decide to give Patrick a chance to work with them.
We do know the killer’s identity and his motive behind the killings early on in the book. He is surely determined to continue in his killing spree. Will the police with Patrick's help track him down before he murders even more women? Will the spirits of the murdered women be able to finally rest in peace? How far is Patrick prepared to go to release himself of the plight of these spirits?
For a debut novel this was a very good book. It is quite pacey, with realistic characters and dialogue, twists and turns and ongoing suspense. Patrick and Jodie are very likeable, intriguing characters who are also featured in other books by the author. I would maybe have liked to learn more about the two detectives and their lives and work as even though they are interesting characters, I think the author did not go into enough depth about them and their part in the investigation. Other than that I really enjoyed reading this book right up to the end.
With thanks to Sarah Hardy of Bloodhound books for inviting me to take part in the blog tour of this book.
May 17, 2013
different. not something I would normally read but after seeing. the reviews I had to try it.
yes I enjoyed it,
yes I would probably buy the next one if there is on. it certainly ended with the chance of another.
well written. I guess it must have been hard work writing it, well done Emma.
yes I enjoyed it,
yes I would probably buy the next one if there is on. it certainly ended with the chance of another.
well written. I guess it must have been hard work writing it, well done Emma.
March 13, 2016
I received a copy of this book from TBC in return for an honest review.
The story opens with the murder of a young lady down a back street alley in Glasgow but this is not the only murder. We then shift to Patrick and his Fiancee Jodie who are both psychics who have the powers to communicate with the deceased. After reading about the murders in the local paper Patrick realises the recent disturbing dreams, visions and physic messages he is receiving are from these very victims and contacts the local police to offer assistance. Although sceptical, the two officers (Preston and Lang) on the case decide to let him work with them as they have little information to go on.
However before long all will be embroiled in a kidnap and attempted murder case as they hunt down the serial killer before he strikes again and all becomes clear why mainly Patrick has been targeted by these psychic happenings and why the spirits needed the contact with him!.
I really enjoyed this book reading it nearly all in one go. I thought the multiple narratives and unreliable characters, plus the element of suspense was perfect and it kept me guessing through the twists and turns. The author writes cleverly not making the supernatural aspects too far fetched and it was just right for the story. Having heard of psychics working on real life cases this story interested me and it's an area not really written about much. I maybe would of liked to have heard more about the police investigation and procedures.
I believe this was the authors debut and what a platform to start from. I can see Patrick Mc Laughlin as a central character in a whole series of books now and I for one would be very happy to read them!.
The story opens with the murder of a young lady down a back street alley in Glasgow but this is not the only murder. We then shift to Patrick and his Fiancee Jodie who are both psychics who have the powers to communicate with the deceased. After reading about the murders in the local paper Patrick realises the recent disturbing dreams, visions and physic messages he is receiving are from these very victims and contacts the local police to offer assistance. Although sceptical, the two officers (Preston and Lang) on the case decide to let him work with them as they have little information to go on.
However before long all will be embroiled in a kidnap and attempted murder case as they hunt down the serial killer before he strikes again and all becomes clear why mainly Patrick has been targeted by these psychic happenings and why the spirits needed the contact with him!.
I really enjoyed this book reading it nearly all in one go. I thought the multiple narratives and unreliable characters, plus the element of suspense was perfect and it kept me guessing through the twists and turns. The author writes cleverly not making the supernatural aspects too far fetched and it was just right for the story. Having heard of psychics working on real life cases this story interested me and it's an area not really written about much. I maybe would of liked to have heard more about the police investigation and procedures.
I believe this was the authors debut and what a platform to start from. I can see Patrick Mc Laughlin as a central character in a whole series of books now and I for one would be very happy to read them!.
April 2, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. It combined murder, mystery and a bit of paranormal activity to keep me on the edge of my seat. In fact, it was so good I have read it twice and I am really looking forward to the second book from the talented Emma L. Clapperton. When you read Beyond Evidence you are drawn into each character through great description. I love books where I actually create a picture of the person in my mind and this was certainly one of them. If you have not already read this book...Please do... I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Well done Emma on your first book...cannot wait until the next one is ready!
February 28, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Upon reading the blurb I was excited to read this book as the plot sounded really intriguing, however I quickly guessed what was happening and found the story predictable and pretty boring.
I was able to read this in a passive manner and not really feel any emotions or connection to any of the characters.
There was so much potential for this story to be more exciting and touches on some really interesting themes however the author seems to have been pretty glib at addressing them or establishing them into the storyline.
Lacked suspense and not at all lived up to my expectations.
Upon reading the blurb I was excited to read this book as the plot sounded really intriguing, however I quickly guessed what was happening and found the story predictable and pretty boring.
I was able to read this in a passive manner and not really feel any emotions or connection to any of the characters.
There was so much potential for this story to be more exciting and touches on some really interesting themes however the author seems to have been pretty glib at addressing them or establishing them into the storyline.
Lacked suspense and not at all lived up to my expectations.
February 28, 2016
I received this book to review via TBC. When I realised it was about the paranormal, I was a bit cynical as this is just not my thing! I have to say though that Emma totally won me over with a well written, carefully plotted thriller. I loved the characters of Patrick and Jodie and would probably want to read more - as long as I can again read the book for what it is rather than let reality and the old cynicism creep in!
It had the added bonus of being set in Glasgow and I always enjoy a background of places I know well!
Thanks to the author and TBC for a copy to review
It had the added bonus of being set in Glasgow and I always enjoy a background of places I know well!
Thanks to the author and TBC for a copy to review
February 21, 2016
Really enjoyed reading this book, couldn't put it down so read it in the space of an evening.
Really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story...parts of it had my heart racing for some of the characters.
Would definitely read another if it became a series!
Really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story...parts of it had my heart racing for some of the characters.
Would definitely read another if it became a series!
June 22, 2017
My rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
This book is preceded by a novella, The Suicide Plan, and I would recommend that this is read first as it introduces the characters.
Patrick and his Fiancé, Jodie, have psychic abilities and become involved in a murder investigation when they start seeing images from the dead women. The Detectives on the case are Lang and Preston.
Lang is a non-believer whereas Preston is willing to keep an open mind. The differences of opinion bring a new perspective to the story.
This is an intriguing story. I am always interested to read about how losing a family member can cause people to react in different ways and this book provided yet another direction.
The book moves along at a steady pace with suspense all the way through that keeps the reader turning the pages. I worked things out early on but kept reading to find out if I was right. There was something in the story (no spoilers) that confused me and that lost it a few points.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books who provided me with an advance copy
This book is preceded by a novella, The Suicide Plan, and I would recommend that this is read first as it introduces the characters.
Patrick and his Fiancé, Jodie, have psychic abilities and become involved in a murder investigation when they start seeing images from the dead women. The Detectives on the case are Lang and Preston.
Lang is a non-believer whereas Preston is willing to keep an open mind. The differences of opinion bring a new perspective to the story.
This is an intriguing story. I am always interested to read about how losing a family member can cause people to react in different ways and this book provided yet another direction.
The book moves along at a steady pace with suspense all the way through that keeps the reader turning the pages. I worked things out early on but kept reading to find out if I was right. There was something in the story (no spoilers) that confused me and that lost it a few points.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books who provided me with an advance copy
September 4, 2013
I have to be honest and say that when I read the synopsis I had some serious doubts. I am not somebody who reads a lot of fiction that features ghosts or anything remotely like that, so when I say the words “Medium, Patrick McLaughlin” I have to say I was a little concerned. However, I was quite surprised that the first few pages were extremely graphic and gritty as we see a crime scene played out in front of us. The following pages are used to introduce us to Patrick who (surprisingly) did not work for the police, but was an ordinary Joe! The difference between him and other people is that he has the ability to see and hear spirits.
I have to say I am a bit of a sceptic with things like that, but was even more surprised that the story and character of Patrick was done really well and was totally believable. Patrick was a pretty likeable character and I think because he has had so many issues growing up because of his ability, it made him more likeable. His partner Jodie also has the same ability which brings them closer together as a couple, and the added bonus was that they played off each other in the story and it helped make the story so much more legitimate.
In addition to Patrick, we meet two coppers Lang and Preston who are currently working on the cases of the murdered women. The nice aspect of this is that Patrick has to really work to prove to both of them that he isn’t a phoney. I liked both the coppers but to be honest, would like to find out a bit more about both of them as I didn’t really feel like wither of them stood out. Overall, this book really surprised me. Seeing as I am not a fan of the paranormal, I thought I might struggle but on fact it was the opposite. Emma Clapperton has created a book with likeable characters, and has potentially created a brilliant platform for a whole series of books featuring Patrick McLaughlin. I really enjoyed this and am really looking forward to another book in this series. If like me, you aren’t a fan of the paranormal, don’t let this put you off; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
I have to say I am a bit of a sceptic with things like that, but was even more surprised that the story and character of Patrick was done really well and was totally believable. Patrick was a pretty likeable character and I think because he has had so many issues growing up because of his ability, it made him more likeable. His partner Jodie also has the same ability which brings them closer together as a couple, and the added bonus was that they played off each other in the story and it helped make the story so much more legitimate.
In addition to Patrick, we meet two coppers Lang and Preston who are currently working on the cases of the murdered women. The nice aspect of this is that Patrick has to really work to prove to both of them that he isn’t a phoney. I liked both the coppers but to be honest, would like to find out a bit more about both of them as I didn’t really feel like wither of them stood out. Overall, this book really surprised me. Seeing as I am not a fan of the paranormal, I thought I might struggle but on fact it was the opposite. Emma Clapperton has created a book with likeable characters, and has potentially created a brilliant platform for a whole series of books featuring Patrick McLaughlin. I really enjoyed this and am really looking forward to another book in this series. If like me, you aren’t a fan of the paranormal, don’t let this put you off; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
July 1, 2014
Ok so this is the first time that I've read a book that has less than 50 reviews on Goodreads and as it's average is currently 4.11 out of 5 I thought it was a safe bet... Oh how I was wrong.
I rarely write reviews of the books but I felt I needed to warn potential readers of the poor writing style.
I have had to stop reading, I just couldn't carry on (got to chapter 4), instead of reading the actual story I became an editor and started rewriting the story. Every sentence seemed to have extra words added for no apparent reason making them convoluted and repetitive. It took me back to my schoolbook short stories written when sentence structure was still an unknown.
"Patrick was absolutely helpless with fear of not knowing what was going on" could just be "Patrick was absolutely helpless with fear" the rest of the sentence does not add anything.
"Of course, everybody dreams at night, but not everybody's dreams kept them awake for most of the night" could be "Of course everyone dreams at night but not everyone's dreams keep them awake"
"Mostly they described how they missed their human life and that they would love to come back to do all the things they hadn't done that they regretted" would read better as "They liked to talk about their regrets and how they would like a second chance to put things right"
"he replied as he manoeuvred his legs to reach the highest height he could" sounds better as "he propelled his legs forward to swing as high as he could"
"It was now approaching 5am and he was wide awake with the entire goings on in his head" entire goings on could be "whole experience" or "everything that happened".
Anyway I could keep going with these examples as the book is full of them, it actually made me wonder if Beyond Evidence had started out as a short story and the author tried to make it longer by adding unnecessary sentences in!
Or maybe I just need to start a career in editing!! Very disappointing!
I rarely write reviews of the books but I felt I needed to warn potential readers of the poor writing style.
I have had to stop reading, I just couldn't carry on (got to chapter 4), instead of reading the actual story I became an editor and started rewriting the story. Every sentence seemed to have extra words added for no apparent reason making them convoluted and repetitive. It took me back to my schoolbook short stories written when sentence structure was still an unknown.
"Patrick was absolutely helpless with fear of not knowing what was going on" could just be "Patrick was absolutely helpless with fear" the rest of the sentence does not add anything.
"Of course, everybody dreams at night, but not everybody's dreams kept them awake for most of the night" could be "Of course everyone dreams at night but not everyone's dreams keep them awake"
"Mostly they described how they missed their human life and that they would love to come back to do all the things they hadn't done that they regretted" would read better as "They liked to talk about their regrets and how they would like a second chance to put things right"
"he replied as he manoeuvred his legs to reach the highest height he could" sounds better as "he propelled his legs forward to swing as high as he could"
"It was now approaching 5am and he was wide awake with the entire goings on in his head" entire goings on could be "whole experience" or "everything that happened".
Anyway I could keep going with these examples as the book is full of them, it actually made me wonder if Beyond Evidence had started out as a short story and the author tried to make it longer by adding unnecessary sentences in!
Or maybe I just need to start a career in editing!! Very disappointing!
March 23, 2016
I have to admit that I read the blurb about this book and it sounded right up my alley - a murder mystery with a bit of a paranormal twist, set in Glasgow. Perfect, I thought.
Unfortunately, it didnt quite live up to my expectations. From the start, I struggled to read the sentences which over-described almost everything. It's like the book was perfectly fine as it was, but a little short, and someone told the author to add more words to it. It was hard to get into the flow of reading as there was a little too much detail about irrelevant things which got in the way of the story. The second half of the book was easier to read but there were so many questions that I had e.g. I thought if a whole lot of men were being DNA tested, there would be a description of that but that was skipped over and I thought the relationship between Patrick and the police was kinda odd too. The negativity that one of the police officers showed towards Patrick was well written about though.
Then there was the paranormal aspect of things. It could have been just brilliant, since both Patrick and his fiancee had these gifts but there was not enough detail there, somehow. I have to admit to not getting very emotionally involved with either of them, and their relationship was supposed to be close but I just wasnt feeling it.
The killer being revealed early on was well done and I liked his character the best out of all of them. He was scarily believable.
This was an OK book, its a 2.5 star for me.
Thank you to TBC for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, it didnt quite live up to my expectations. From the start, I struggled to read the sentences which over-described almost everything. It's like the book was perfectly fine as it was, but a little short, and someone told the author to add more words to it. It was hard to get into the flow of reading as there was a little too much detail about irrelevant things which got in the way of the story. The second half of the book was easier to read but there were so many questions that I had e.g. I thought if a whole lot of men were being DNA tested, there would be a description of that but that was skipped over and I thought the relationship between Patrick and the police was kinda odd too. The negativity that one of the police officers showed towards Patrick was well written about though.
Then there was the paranormal aspect of things. It could have been just brilliant, since both Patrick and his fiancee had these gifts but there was not enough detail there, somehow. I have to admit to not getting very emotionally involved with either of them, and their relationship was supposed to be close but I just wasnt feeling it.
The killer being revealed early on was well done and I liked his character the best out of all of them. He was scarily believable.
This was an OK book, its a 2.5 star for me.
Thank you to TBC for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 26, 2016
First off, I'd like to thank THE Book Club (TBC) on Facebook along with the author Emma Clapperton for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Paranormal/Psychic novels are not one of my normal 'go to' genres when I'm looking for something to read. But, I wanted something different and wanted to branch out a bit. I got the opportunity to read this novel and jumped on it, not knowing what to expect to be honest. I didn't really have any expectations since it was a new story line for me, though I do like to read a lot of police procedural novels
Patrick McLaughlin is a medium who works along with the local police to track down the serial killer who is stalking the streets of Glasgow. Dealing with the disturbing dreams revealing information about the murders and with the expected skepticism in the whole 'psychic ability thing' must be difficult and it helps his fiancee, Jodie, is also able to communicate with the dead. Can they work together to find the killer before more murders are committed?
There are some great little twists in this book, and it kept my attention right to the very end! It was different, knowing who the killer is pretty early on rather than trying to figure out who did it. The characters were likable, believable, and I didn't think that the psychic aspect of the book was too over the top, it was just right. New fan, right here! Looking forward to reading more :)
Paranormal/Psychic novels are not one of my normal 'go to' genres when I'm looking for something to read. But, I wanted something different and wanted to branch out a bit. I got the opportunity to read this novel and jumped on it, not knowing what to expect to be honest. I didn't really have any expectations since it was a new story line for me, though I do like to read a lot of police procedural novels
Patrick McLaughlin is a medium who works along with the local police to track down the serial killer who is stalking the streets of Glasgow. Dealing with the disturbing dreams revealing information about the murders and with the expected skepticism in the whole 'psychic ability thing' must be difficult and it helps his fiancee, Jodie, is also able to communicate with the dead. Can they work together to find the killer before more murders are committed?
There are some great little twists in this book, and it kept my attention right to the very end! It was different, knowing who the killer is pretty early on rather than trying to figure out who did it. The characters were likable, believable, and I didn't think that the psychic aspect of the book was too over the top, it was just right. New fan, right here! Looking forward to reading more :)
March 9, 2016
I received this as an arc from the book club (tbc) on fb in exchange for an honest review.
Patrick Mclaughlin knows about death. Three woman found dead he knows where they are. Can he help police find the murderer?
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Absolutely fantastic read.
I loved the story and the characters.
I really felt for Jolie and Patrick.
Ross was a psycho.
I loved Preston and Lang's difference of opinion of what Patrick could do.
And wow I didn't see that coming.
Gripping and Eerie.
I loved the ending too.
Can't wait for book 2.
This is a must read and I would highly recommend this book.
Definitely worth more than 5 *.
Patrick Mclaughlin knows about death. Three woman found dead he knows where they are. Can he help police find the murderer?
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Absolutely fantastic read.
I loved the story and the characters.
I really felt for Jolie and Patrick.
Ross was a psycho.
I loved Preston and Lang's difference of opinion of what Patrick could do.
And wow I didn't see that coming.
Gripping and Eerie.
I loved the ending too.
Can't wait for book 2.
This is a must read and I would highly recommend this book.
Definitely worth more than 5 *.
March 3, 2016
I wouldn't normally read books to do with the paranormal but decided to try something new. I am glad I did it was very well written and I enjoyed the book.
Murders are taking place in Glasgow and Patrick decides to help the police try and solve the murders after getting visions related to the victims.
There are some twists I didn't see coming.
Great book and a worthy 4*
Thank you TBC and Emma Clapperton for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.
Murders are taking place in Glasgow and Patrick decides to help the police try and solve the murders after getting visions related to the victims.
There are some twists I didn't see coming.
Great book and a worthy 4*
Thank you TBC and Emma Clapperton for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.
February 21, 2016
Offered this though The Book Club on FB in exchange for an honest review. A very interesting read. Initially, I had one idea on how the story would progress and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't go the way I had expected. Really warmed to the partnership between the main characters. Another inkling halfway through, was confirmed, which added to the story's depth. Should definitely have a sequel, as I can't wait to read it.
June 21, 2017
Patrick McLaughlin appears again in this gripping novel. He and girlfriend Jodie, are still involved with the Spiritual Church and all that involves.
The story opens with Patrick revisiting his childhood when the dead made themselves known. In fact, Jodie has something similar, so she understands what makes him tick.
A female is found murdered in the city of Glasgow. The press is all over the story but Patrick begins to find this lady coming into his conscience. She is trying to tell him something. Another body is found and again it appears to have been a sexual attack. Do they have a serial killer on their hands?
Policemen Lang and Preston are assigned the case when Patrick comes forward to say he will help then. Preston has met Patrick before so has difficulty in explaining this to his partner Lang.
When a third body is found these women are constantly on Patrick's mind as he tries to work out who hurt them.
DNA testing from both women throws up a conundrum. It proves that the killer's DNA is a familiar one with Patrick. He was adopted and has not chased his enquiries via the adoption agency.
Patrick has made a friend, Mark, who he works with on the two evenings a week he in a bar. Mark is the only one he chooses to tell about the work he did to help the police.
The strain begins to show and Jodie is worried about Patrick who is not sleeping and is on edge. Patrick is finding it difficult to think of anything except the murdered women.
He and Jodie take a few days off and go to a hide-a-way in the country, not knowing that Mark is following them.
Mark is Patrick's brother by birth. He was otherwise known as Ross. He hasn't recovered from his mother's suicide, which was bought on by his father's outrageous treatment of her. Once his father comes out of prison, he visits Ross to make amends but falls down the stairs, to his death, on turning up at his flat.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased.
The story opens with Patrick revisiting his childhood when the dead made themselves known. In fact, Jodie has something similar, so she understands what makes him tick.
A female is found murdered in the city of Glasgow. The press is all over the story but Patrick begins to find this lady coming into his conscience. She is trying to tell him something. Another body is found and again it appears to have been a sexual attack. Do they have a serial killer on their hands?
Policemen Lang and Preston are assigned the case when Patrick comes forward to say he will help then. Preston has met Patrick before so has difficulty in explaining this to his partner Lang.
When a third body is found these women are constantly on Patrick's mind as he tries to work out who hurt them.
DNA testing from both women throws up a conundrum. It proves that the killer's DNA is a familiar one with Patrick. He was adopted and has not chased his enquiries via the adoption agency.
Patrick has made a friend, Mark, who he works with on the two evenings a week he in a bar. Mark is the only one he chooses to tell about the work he did to help the police.
The strain begins to show and Jodie is worried about Patrick who is not sleeping and is on edge. Patrick is finding it difficult to think of anything except the murdered women.
He and Jodie take a few days off and go to a hide-a-way in the country, not knowing that Mark is following them.
Mark is Patrick's brother by birth. He was otherwise known as Ross. He hasn't recovered from his mother's suicide, which was bought on by his father's outrageous treatment of her. Once his father comes out of prison, he visits Ross to make amends but falls down the stairs, to his death, on turning up at his flat.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are all my own and completely unbiased.
June 21, 2017
Don’t you just cringe at those scenes where a young woman is trying to get away from a bloke and it seems like she is running in treacle because the faster she runs, even though the bloke is way behind without a care in the world, you just know she is a gonna. It’s like I can feel him breathing on my neck and his breathe is getting hotter the further I read down the page. Well hold that feeling. You will need it more than once as the young women of Glasgow are rapidly becoming victims of this calm and calculating killer.
Meet Patrick, he is having a terrible time sleeping and once he sees the newspaper he knows why. Patrick sees dead people in visons , his fiancee Jodie 100 percent believes him but then again she hears dead people. They make a pretty cool team. Now the police aren’t really getting anywhere fast, except to the morgue, where they seem quite frequent visitors, as the dead bodies of young woman keep appearing all over the town. They haven’t a clue where to go on this case, so desperate times call for a more unusual approach than they have used before.
This is the first in the series of the Patrick McLaughlin books, so there is a little look back into the past on both Patrick and Jodie and how they met. Having such special gifts made them both pretty isolated as far as other friends go, that was until they met each other. To be honest being adults and having ‘normal’ friends wasn’t the greatest either. I mean who wants a mate that looks like a nutter chatting away to thin air!
Patrick knows that the only way to quieten the voices is to find the person that ended these women’s lives and so approaches DS Preston and DC Lang. I love these two detectives that not only make a quite brilliant team they also bounce off each other like an old married couple. They certainly don’t always agree on everything but they have each other covered.
There are some very shocking discoveries in this story that just give it plenty OMG moments as more of the story unfolds and it all becomes a race against time and very personal. This is a great introduction to the series.
Meet Patrick, he is having a terrible time sleeping and once he sees the newspaper he knows why. Patrick sees dead people in visons , his fiancee Jodie 100 percent believes him but then again she hears dead people. They make a pretty cool team. Now the police aren’t really getting anywhere fast, except to the morgue, where they seem quite frequent visitors, as the dead bodies of young woman keep appearing all over the town. They haven’t a clue where to go on this case, so desperate times call for a more unusual approach than they have used before.
This is the first in the series of the Patrick McLaughlin books, so there is a little look back into the past on both Patrick and Jodie and how they met. Having such special gifts made them both pretty isolated as far as other friends go, that was until they met each other. To be honest being adults and having ‘normal’ friends wasn’t the greatest either. I mean who wants a mate that looks like a nutter chatting away to thin air!
Patrick knows that the only way to quieten the voices is to find the person that ended these women’s lives and so approaches DS Preston and DC Lang. I love these two detectives that not only make a quite brilliant team they also bounce off each other like an old married couple. They certainly don’t always agree on everything but they have each other covered.
There are some very shocking discoveries in this story that just give it plenty OMG moments as more of the story unfolds and it all becomes a race against time and very personal. This is a great introduction to the series.
June 23, 2017
This book has been sitting on my kindle for far too long so I jumped at the chance to take part on this blog tour knowing that I would be able to read one of the books off my mountain pile. First of all I have to stay I am loving the new cover and personally I think it is what this book needed. The original cover to me looked like a Science fiction cover rather than crime.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I read The Suicide Plan which is a novella introducing us to medium Patrick McLaughlin The author laid down all the foundations for the start of what I could see was going to be a brilliant series. And I am delighted to say that Beyond evidence is simply brilliant I totally loved it.
With a brilliant prologue we follow a story set in Glasgow, lies a female corpse which no one knows about apart from Patrick McLaughlin. Meanwhile local police are requesting DNA samples after several murders have taken place. The dreams Patrick has of the female hold the key to the murders identity. Working alongside the police can Patrick help track down the Killer?
Like I have said before I am a big fan and believer in the supernatural and I love how the author has entwined this element into a crime story making it different.
Patrick and Jodie make a brilliant team and couple both being gifted. Rather them than me though, as much has I love reading about it and seeing mediums myself I don't think I would like to hear and see things like that. But I love the fact they use their gift to help people. Making them the good guys.
This is certainly a page turner I read it in one afternoon the author grabs you from start and keep you there until the very last page. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
This is a must read which I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars
Thank you to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I read The Suicide Plan which is a novella introducing us to medium Patrick McLaughlin The author laid down all the foundations for the start of what I could see was going to be a brilliant series. And I am delighted to say that Beyond evidence is simply brilliant I totally loved it.
With a brilliant prologue we follow a story set in Glasgow, lies a female corpse which no one knows about apart from Patrick McLaughlin. Meanwhile local police are requesting DNA samples after several murders have taken place. The dreams Patrick has of the female hold the key to the murders identity. Working alongside the police can Patrick help track down the Killer?
Like I have said before I am a big fan and believer in the supernatural and I love how the author has entwined this element into a crime story making it different.
Patrick and Jodie make a brilliant team and couple both being gifted. Rather them than me though, as much has I love reading about it and seeing mediums myself I don't think I would like to hear and see things like that. But I love the fact they use their gift to help people. Making them the good guys.
This is certainly a page turner I read it in one afternoon the author grabs you from start and keep you there until the very last page. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
This is a must read which I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars
Thank you to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to take part in this Blog Tour
June 13, 2017
Full review to follow on my blog tour stop
February 25, 2016
Ghosts. Pah! No such thing, right? Well that's my standpoint anyway. I am a sceptic. However when I read the blurb of this book I thought "why not? I'm an open-minded kinda girl". And who doesn't love a serial killer thriller? I'm glad I did because I enjoyed this book and have the utmost respect for Emma L Clapperton as a self published author.
There is a serial killer loose in Glasgow. The number of murdered young women is on the rise and strange things are happening to bar worker Patrick. Patrick is psychic. The love of his life, Jodie, is also a psychic but when the spirits of the dead woman start communicating with the couple things start getting scary.
It's a race against time to catch the killer before Jodie becomes one of his victims. There are twists and turns to keep you hooked. I enjoyed the writing style and warmed to Patrick quite early on. I kept wanting to pick the book up to read it and that in my opinion is always the sign of a good story.
This is the first novel in the Patrick McLaughlin series and I will be adding book two to my TBR soon.
Three out of five stars.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Emma L Clapperton and the THE Book Club for the opportunity to read it.
There is a serial killer loose in Glasgow. The number of murdered young women is on the rise and strange things are happening to bar worker Patrick. Patrick is psychic. The love of his life, Jodie, is also a psychic but when the spirits of the dead woman start communicating with the couple things start getting scary.
It's a race against time to catch the killer before Jodie becomes one of his victims. There are twists and turns to keep you hooked. I enjoyed the writing style and warmed to Patrick quite early on. I kept wanting to pick the book up to read it and that in my opinion is always the sign of a good story.
This is the first novel in the Patrick McLaughlin series and I will be adding book two to my TBR soon.
Three out of five stars.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Emma L Clapperton and the THE Book Club for the opportunity to read it.
February 27, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Beyond Evidence is a wonderful crime/thriller story with a paranormal twist. The main characters, Patrick and his Fiancée Jodie, have a shared ability to communicate with the deceased however this manifests itself through them in different ways.
The novel is set in Glasgow and opens with the murders of 3 pretty young women. As the reader, we know who the murder is and quickly know his motive for doing so. I enjoyed the combination of perspectives as the chapters passed, the world of being a psychic and the unreliable narrative of the murderer.
I found it well-written and giving the reader the insight that the Police, Patrick and Jodie didn't have without spoiling it.
I am not a huge paranormal book fan however I really enjoyed this, I found it similar in idea to the American series, 'The Ghost Whisperer' which I loved - I enjoyed the investigation and the interesting side that Patrick brought to it. I would definitely recommend this to fans of crime/thriller novels and will be reading more by this author.
Beyond Evidence is a wonderful crime/thriller story with a paranormal twist. The main characters, Patrick and his Fiancée Jodie, have a shared ability to communicate with the deceased however this manifests itself through them in different ways.
The novel is set in Glasgow and opens with the murders of 3 pretty young women. As the reader, we know who the murder is and quickly know his motive for doing so. I enjoyed the combination of perspectives as the chapters passed, the world of being a psychic and the unreliable narrative of the murderer.
I found it well-written and giving the reader the insight that the Police, Patrick and Jodie didn't have without spoiling it.
I am not a huge paranormal book fan however I really enjoyed this, I found it similar in idea to the American series, 'The Ghost Whisperer' which I loved - I enjoyed the investigation and the interesting side that Patrick brought to it. I would definitely recommend this to fans of crime/thriller novels and will be reading more by this author.
November 15, 2017
Amazing
I started this and forgotten about it. But when I resumed, OMG! I couldn't put it down! So smooth how they incorporate the spirit world to make this a highly believable circumstance. Loved it!
I started this and forgotten about it. But when I resumed, OMG! I couldn't put it down! So smooth how they incorporate the spirit world to make this a highly believable circumstance. Loved it!
February 21, 2016
I have really enjoyed this book, which I was given through goodreads. I found that the story was well written, with realistic responses from other characters in regard to ghosts and spiritualism. I enjoyed the storyline and found the circle of abuse intriguing, with thoughts of how it arises and how you have mixed feelings towards Ross with his grief and anger.
I felt the police could have had a little more information/procedure included to make the story more plausible from that angle, however considering the story is about psychics, I feel you can gloss over that.
Not knowing what psychic people face, I can't comment on what Patrick and Jodie face, but at a basic level it would be horrifying.
Overall, I personally enjoyed the book and would happily read other books from this author.
I felt the police could have had a little more information/procedure included to make the story more plausible from that angle, however considering the story is about psychics, I feel you can gloss over that.
Not knowing what psychic people face, I can't comment on what Patrick and Jodie face, but at a basic level it would be horrifying.
Overall, I personally enjoyed the book and would happily read other books from this author.
August 13, 2015
I was a bit disconcerted by the way the book was written. I felt that things were over explained as if I, as a reader, would be too dumb to figure things out. I did like the story over all. It moves along and the paranormal wasn't so out of the blue as to be unbelievable. I did think it implausible that the police (guarda?) would accept Patrick's word so quickly and then seek him out for his views on everything, and that they would tell him about the cases in the first place. I thought the ending was well-done and creepy in a good way. The evil-doer was sufficiently evil.
February 29, 2016
Emma L Clapperton has carved herself a unique niche in the crime fiction genre. I'm not usually a fan of paranormal stories as they are often far-fetched. However, Emma has created two very human characters in Patrick and Jodie, and has given enough of their background to make them believable and for us readers to sympathise with, especially Patrick. The pace is steady and the plot enjoyable which keeps you hooked and guessing to the end. My own niggle is that I wanted to read more. I look forward to more novels featuring Patrick and Jodie. A brilliant five star read.
March 20, 2016
I received this book in return for an honest review. Thank you.
It's 3.5 stars for me. A great idea, the plot carried me through and I was gripped by the suspense. Would definitely want to read more.
My only negative is that some of the writing style jarred a bit, everything seemed over explained and some of the sentences were complicated which made the reading a bit like: he said, she said, he felt, this happened then this happened. The flow was jerky.
Doesn't spoil a great story but worth a think for next one.
It's 3.5 stars for me. A great idea, the plot carried me through and I was gripped by the suspense. Would definitely want to read more.
My only negative is that some of the writing style jarred a bit, everything seemed over explained and some of the sentences were complicated which made the reading a bit like: he said, she said, he felt, this happened then this happened. The flow was jerky.
Doesn't spoil a great story but worth a think for next one.
April 13, 2015
Published: 10/09/2012
The first few pages straight away grab the readers attention as it draws out the scene of a very graphic crime scene. We get introduced to the main character Patrick who has the ability to see and hear spirits. It was incredibly good to read and expertly written by Emma Clapperton, it will keep your attention until the very last word of the book. Id definately recommend people to give this book a try.
The first few pages straight away grab the readers attention as it draws out the scene of a very graphic crime scene. We get introduced to the main character Patrick who has the ability to see and hear spirits. It was incredibly good to read and expertly written by Emma Clapperton, it will keep your attention until the very last word of the book. Id definately recommend people to give this book a try.
February 25, 2016
It's a very well written book about the psychic world! It's been brought to life brilliantly! The mediumship has been shown as a part of normal being and some of the things that they have to go through makes your heart go out to them!
I wasn't totally bowled over by it! But a good read! You did want to find out what happens next and hence couldn't put it down!
Loved the relation between Patrick and Jodie!! The inspectors relations with each other is also shown well! Definitely worth a read!!
I wasn't totally bowled over by it! But a good read! You did want to find out what happens next and hence couldn't put it down!
Loved the relation between Patrick and Jodie!! The inspectors relations with each other is also shown well! Definitely worth a read!!
March 26, 2016
I wasn't sure about this one when I started it - I am very sceptical about the paranormal and I was imagining this would be a little on the far fetched side. But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It was a well written story which soon drew you right in so you wanted to keep reading. Enjoyed the characters - both good and bad. Will definately be reading more by this author - and I am happy to see that there is a sequel to this book.
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