I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
Welcome to the tour for The Stone Guardian, a sweet paranormal romance by Gayle Katz!
Stone Guardian: A Sweet Paranormal Gargoyle Romance (Masonry, Magic, and Love Book 1)
Tropes:
– No spice gargoyle shifter romance
– Small town paranormal romance
– Magical library and town
– Different walks of life: human librarian meets cursed gargoyle hiding from his evil witch
– Also love interest in jeopardy!
– Self-discovery: Main character librarian takes charge of her life by the end of the book
– Noble sacrifice
– Heartwarming happily-ever-after ending
Gargoyles are immovable statues of stone. Lifeless, the librarian thought, until one of them takes flight to save her from an untimely demise.
A kindhearted but lonely librarian. Nancy is drowning under the weight of an abusive boyfriend, failing grades, and looming unemployment. While at work, she confides her deepest, darkest secrets to the gargoyle perched near her desk. But she’s unprepared when the strange stone statue comes to life.
A gentle gargoyle born under a curse. Treyton can’t believe it. In the past century that he’s been guarding the beloved Victorian library he calls home, the lonesome man never had anyone notice him until now. And he’s enchanted by the beautiful woman yearning for true love under his watchful gaze. But the witch who gave him life wants him back. And she’s willing to kill anyone who stands in her way.
As his vile witch plots against them, will Nancy and Treyton be torn apart forever, or can they overcome the evil threatening their love — and their lives?
When murder hits close to home, Iris must fight to clear her name…
Spring, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret – and she’s desperate to flee before he does. But when he’s found murdered after a violent argument with her, there’s no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation.
With the police closing in, Iris has to find the real killer if she’s to keep her secret. Can she prove her innocence without revealing the identity of the one man who can provide her with an alibi?
A gripping new mystery for fans of Verity Bright, Clara McKenna, and Helena Dixon.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by my author page. You’ll see all my books are classic murder mysteries – because golden age whodunnits are the stories I enjoy reading most. I love to create memorable characters and devise intriguing plots with a focus on mystery rather than violence. I live in Hampshire, England, and it’s the setting for many of my books. My standalone novel, Murder at Merewood Hospital, features Sister Helen Hopgood, the last nurse left in a military hospital in Hampshire at the end of the First World War. I also have family connections to Devon, and the fourth Iris Woodmore Mystery, A Killing at Smugglers Cove, is set on the south coast of Devon in 1923. Iris is back in her native Hampshire for A Corpse in Christmas Close, set in Winchester over Christmas 1923, and Murder at Mill Ponds House, which begins on 1st May 1924. You can read all of my books as standalone novels, even the Iris Woodmore Mysteries, as each is a separate story, although the characters develop as the series progresses. I hope you enjoy reading or listening to my books.
My thoughts: Poor Iris, creepy stalker Archie Powell has moved to her home town and hardly anyone seems to understand what a nasty piece of work he is. He keeps up his reign of terror, threatening Iris with a gun and saying he’ll expose her for having an affair with a married man (even though she isn’t).
Then someone shoots him, and Iris is the prime suspect. There are some others too, but Iris needs to clear her name before the police arrest her. Who else hated Archie so much they they’d shoot a man in the back, or is there something else going on?
Luckily Iris has fantastic friends and they all rally round to help her find out who the killer is. By interviewing the residents of the respite home Archie was managing, and the people who worked there perhaps they’ll find something.
As Iris works to solve the case, it becomes apparent that not everyone is telling the truth, and plenty of people’s secrets are going to have to be brought out into the light before the case is solved.
Another excellent case for Iris, though perhaps not one she’ll be recounting in her job as journalist, at least not the parts about her being a suspect or Archie’s threats.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
A calculated killer. A life hanging in the balance. A decision that changes everything…
For the first time in her life, DCI Emma Gardner finds herself unable to concentrate on the job she loves. Her thoughts are now always with her old colleague Paul Riddick, who lies desperately ill in hospital – a tortured man in life, now facing death.
When a young woman dies from seemingly natural causes, Emma can’t help feeling that something isn’t quite right with the case, but she needs her team to pick up the slack whilst she focuses on Paul.
The case proves more complex than anyone imagined and will test the team like never before. But unbeknownst to everyone, there is another threat lurking even closer to home – Emma’s unpredictable brother Jack. And with Emma distracted, he has free rein to put right the dark and twisted grievances from his own past.
But his actions, when they come, will be devastating. And will destroy everything Emma loves…
Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England.
“An explosive and visceral debut with the most terrifying of killers. Wes Markin is a new name to watch out for in crime fiction.” – Bestselling Crime Author Stephen Booth
Perfect for fans of Chris Carter, James Patterson, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed the previous books in this series and a lot of the long running plots come to a head here as Emma tries to deal with her brother leaving prison, her former colleague Paul being in a coma, critically ill, and her relationship with Lucy, while also juggling a rather complex case.
Her brother’s return is troubling, he’s a sociopath who murdered a man in front of her and shot Lucy. Now he’s out and she’s worried about his plans and how his presence will affect his daughter, who Emma adopted. Then there’s the presence of the somewhat sinister Neville, who has engineered Jack’s release for his own ends.
The case itself is a puzzle, what young woman with no history of heart trouble just drops dead of a heart attack? Emma is convinced there’s something else going on, especially as the victim’s husband seems somewhat unaffected and is a bit of a mystery himself. The team dig into the case as Emma sits by Paul’s bed, waiting for him to either wake up or possibly die, as a dangerous infection has set in. In his coma Paul is plagued by a mix of memories and dreams, puzzling and troubling.
Can the team solve the case and catch a killer? Will Paul wake up? And what consequences are there following Jack’s release? Well, you’ll have to read the book. There’s plenty of twists and a really shocking ending to keep you hooked. Great stuff.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
It was supposed to be a simple case: a young man arrested for armed assault.
But it was just the beginning.
As Rodney Middleton awaits trial, Detective Jack Warr is warned by his mentor DCI Ridley that they have only scratched the surface of the man’s crimes.
Then DCI Ridley is suddenly removed from his post. No one is to contact him – and no one will say why.
As Warr digs into Middleton’s past, Ridley calls pleading for help, now accused of a murder he insists he didn’t commit.
To catch a monster and exonerate his friend, Warr must weed out the lies. But what awaits Warr if he uncovers the truth?
My thoughts: This is definitely the darkest and most shocking book in the series so far, the case takes Jack into the nasty recesses of a terrifying sociopath and deals with human trafficking, kidnap, murder and psychological control.
Jack’s boss DCI Ridley is also in trouble too and needs Jack’s help to clear his name.
Dealing with both cases and needing to be very secretive about Ridley’s leaves Jack feeling pulled in different directions and he isn’t seeing the issues in his own home as his mother seems to be struggling.
Another brilliant, knotty, intelligent read from the queen of crime, this had me hooked from page one and as Jack does his best to solve the mysteries surrounding Rodney Middleton and his peculiar girlfriend, as well as help Ridley, he puts his job at risk and a strain in his marriage, leaving Maggie handling their personal lives as well as working long hours in the hospital.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
A killer is stalking the illustrious Fitzwarren family. And any of the clan could be next . . .
Lord Hugo may be heir to the Fitzwarren millions. But everyone knows who rules the roost in his noble old family. His formidable mother, Lady Beatrice. It’s been that way since her husband met his watery end. In a boating accident, poor thing. Now, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Lord Hugo plans to give his mama a gift she’ll never forget: a portrait of her dear, departed husband.
Guests gather at the Fitzwarrens’ decadent ancestral pile, waiting with bated breath for a glimpse of the painting. Detective Jack Dawes is among them, his wife Corrie on his arm. A cord is pulled. The curtain falls . . . and Lady B lets out a blood-curdling scream. It’s not the likeness that has her spooked. It’s the dagger, plunged deep in her husband’s chest. Scrawled beneath, in blood-red paint, there’s a single word. Killer. Is it a spiteful prank . . . or something more?
Detective Jack’s determined to find out. But he’s got his work cut out — with the frosty Fitzwarrens seeking to shut him down at every turn and Lord Hugo himself mysteriously missing. Lord Hugo’s family are certain he’ll turn up in his own time. But Jack knows the clock is ticking to solve this baffling case. Before something worse than paint is spilled . . .
This entertaining and absorbing mystery is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, LJ Ross, J.R. Ellis, Faith Martin, Catherine Moloney and P.F. Ford.
Frances Lloyd was born in Essex but spent a nomadic childhood being carted between RAF stations until mercifully, she was allowed a crack at a proper education in Cheltenham, studying English and Classics. As an adult, she became something of a wandering minstrel with no physical or spiritual roots apart from a strong work ethic. Frances has always been a writer. The job that paid the mortgage was in government communications, She also worked as a freelance journalist and photographer but her ambition was always to write crime novels. She now lives in Northumberland – “Vera” territory – and writes full time. She has published ten DI Dawes murder mysteries. Married three times but now a widow, Frances’ hobbies are reading, wine tasting and cooking.
My thoughts: This was very good, enjoyable and with several excellent twists. The Fitzwarren family are pretty ghastly and unpleasant a bunch, but after the nasty incident at Lady Beatrice’s birthday and then the disappearance of Lord Hugo, Detective Jack Dawes has been tasked with investigating who has it in for the family.
Following two other attacks against them that are more serious, Jack tries to once again get the family to talk, but they seem determined to take all the secrets to the grave. Daughter Charlotte is the only one who’ll talk, and she doesn’t really know anything. Her awful parents and brother aren’t much help and Lady Bea, who knows everything refuses to blacken the family name further.
Their obsession with the family legacy, the bloodline that supposedly stretches back to the Norman Conquest, all of this otherwise completely ridiculous stuff is suddenly on vital importance as the clues are there in Hugo’s plans, which Jack eventually uncovers. The person holding a grudge against the family (which I felt some sympathy for) has had years to plan their revenge but when the family secrets finally come to light, the family were pretty busy destroying their legacy all along.
Hard to feel sorry for most of them, although I liked Charlotte and Louise, neither of whom were responsible for any of the mess. I’m glad Jack eventually got to the bottom of things, proving that once again, the aristocracy is utterly mad and totally bizarre, and that truth and honesty is important to avoid long held grudges.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re thrilled to present the cover for the next book in The Unchained series, Never Bound by Everly Claire!
Never Bound (The Unchained) Expected Publication Date: April 25, 2025 Genre: Dark Dystopian/Forbidden Romance 💀Enemies to Lovers 💔 Who did this to you? (Her to HIM!) 🌑 Dark dystopian world 👑 Rich, naive good girl x her dad literally OWNS him! 🔥 Whips & chains & cuffs, oh my (mostly the bad kind 😈) 🕰️ Slow Burn 📇 He has no name, just a number (really!) ❌ They’re literally not allowed to touch! 👊 Touch her & you’re gonna 💀 (twice) 🎭 Plotting, scheming, twists and reversals! 773496S6 In an alternate 2025, our world is built on the backs of slaves. Louisa is the daughter of the enemy who’s become my master, and I’m not even allowed to look at her, let alone touch her. But I’ve already done way more than that. By day, they make me scrub floors and weed the garden. By night, I ignite her in dark basements and secret rooms. She used to think slaves weren’t people, but I’ve opened her eyes to the horror of her world, and there’s no going back. But I’m here on a mission to find my sister. And Louisa is about to discover that when I charmed my way into her bed, it wasn’t just because I wanted her. It was because I wanted something from her. But now? I do want her. Forever, preferably. But the world thinks I belong in a cage, and I’ve got new enemies determined to put me in one. They’re plotting to blow our secret right out of the water. In this snake pit, neither of us knows who to trust. But when they go after Louisa, I’ll prove that even though I’m a slave, she belongs to me in every way that matters — even if it costs me everything I’ve fought for. NEVER BOUND, book 2 in a dark dystopian forbidden romance series THE UNCHAINED, picks up where Never Broken left off. The books must be read in order. Never Bound ends on a hard cliffhanger and picks up in Never Lost, scheduled for release in summer 2025. Together, all three books form a complete arc with a guaranteed HEA.
I loved the anonymity, flexibility and solitude that working the night shift at Storage Queen gave me. The unsociable hours paid well, helping me fund my university degree and giving me a quiet place to study while the world slept peacefully in their warm, cozy beds. It was the perfect job for me. But that Friday night proved to be more than I bargained for when a man walked through the door, dragging a large suitcase. My immediate instincts told me something was wrong. That’s when my ordeal began. I just had to make it through the night shift. A pacy, heart stopping, page turning thriller for the fans of Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell.
Gemma Rogers lives in West Sussex with her husband, two daughters and a bouncy French Bulldog called Boycie. Her love of writing began in her early teenage years, inspired by hours spent buried in Point Horror, Richard Laymon and Christopher Pike with the occasional Judy Blume thrown in for good measure. Other passions include movies – horrors especially (who doesn’t love a good scare), country walks, swimming and anything involving cake. Her debut novel Stalker was released on the 10th September 2019, quickly followed by The Secret in January 2020, and The Teacher in May. Gemma’s fourth novel The Mistake was published January 2021, followed by The Babysitter in September. The Feud came next in May 2022, then The Neighbour in January 2023 and The Flatmate in June 2023.
Gemma’s ninth title The Good Wife came out in March 2024 and the latest title The Honeymoon is out now!
My thoughts: I’ve always thought self storage warehouses were perfect for horror and this book proves that’s true. Often isolated on industrial estates or the edge of nowhere, they’re huge, open all hours and I can just see how a killer could keep all the evidence hidden in one of the units.
I don’t think I could work a night shift in one, but medical student Nina does, studying while she sits in the reception office. There aren’t many customers this late so it’s usually pretty quiet and she gets her work done. As a type 1 diabetic it also means she can manage her condition quite comfortably, bringing dinner in with her to reheat in the office microwave and no one to complain if it smells!
This night shift however is the stuff of nightmares. A young man brings in a huge suitcase, and there’s something a bit off about him. The unit is registered to a woman, and he just makes Nina nervous. What follows is shocking as Nina gets caught up in a tangle of lies and violence. Chased through the empty building by a dangerous killer, her best friend comes to her aid and gets drawn in too.
When the power gets cut off, there’s no way to call for help and when the killer takes her phone, she can’t even monitor her blood glucose levels and ensure she doesn’t suffer a hypoglycemic attack that could leave her very sick.
As the night wears on, Nina must evade the killer, stay alive and on top of her diabetes, hoping that with the morning help will arrive and end this nightmare.
Gripping, thrilling and with an empathetic and smart protagonist. Adding in a medical condition that must be monitored and adjusted adds an extra layer of suspense, Nina genuinely needs to be able to access her medication and supplies but also hide and stay focused. Really interesting idea and great disability rep too.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re honored to present this beautiful cover for upcoming release, The Knowing Witch by M.M. Parks!
The Knowing Witch (Omnis Book 1)
Expected Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Genre: Dark Romantic Fantasy
*Second chance
*Forbidden love
*Lovers to enemies
*Smart FMC
*Morally grey MMC
*Based on Greek mythology
*Witches & daemons
A dark gift…
Ena prides herself on being one of the most talented witches in her Coven. She does what is expected of her and stays on her path, serving her goddess and maintaining the balance of life and death. On her twenty-seventh birthday, like all witches, Ena is gifted a magical power from her goddess, only to find that her Gift is dangerous and forbidden.
A broken heart…
Ena wrestles with her uncertain future with the Coven as she struggles to overcome a painful heartbreak from her past. Can she finally put it behind her and move on?
A dangerous scheme…
When three strange men show up searching for something in her village, she gets dragged into their schemes. Old wounds are reopened, and Ena begins to question what she knows as she is tempted further and further from the path before her, towards the unknown.
The Knowing Witch is the first book in the Omnis series, a brand new 18+ dark fantasy romance series with second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, a unique nature-centric magic system, and distinctive world-building perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, From Blood and Ash, and the Broken Kingdoms series.
With her Curiosity Shop open for business, Alice Carroll is finally settling into life in the picturesque Cotswold village of Little Pride. But then her old life comes knocking…
Alice’s ex boyfriend, Steven, who dumped her to travel the world, has run out of money and asks Alice to sell off his collection of chess sets. Alice decides to host a tournament to showcase the boards, and her plan seems to be working. That is, until chess pieces begin to mysteriously disappear. And when a body is discovered outside the tournament, Alice realises that the victim was a pawn in another, far more dangerous game.
As the host of the event, Alice is eager to help the police investigate. She doesn’t know why anyone would be interested in stealing random chess pieces, let alone willing to kill for them, but she’s determined to find out. Can she solve the case before someone else gets hurt? Or will this be one gambit too far for Alice?
Debbie Young writes warm, witty, feel-good contemporary fiction inspired by life in the English village where she lives with her Scottish husband and their teenage daughter. Her Sophie Sayers Village Mystery series begins with “Best Murder in Show” and the first seven books run the course of a calendar year in the life of a classic English Cotswold village. Originally intended to be a seven-book series, further books will follow, due to reader demand. She also writes the romantic comedy mystery series, Staffroom at St Bride’s, set in the staffroom of an English girls’ boarding school. The series will eventually be six books long, running the course of an academic year, and the first book is “Secrets at St Bride’s”. Her books were shortlisted in 2020 and 2021 for The Selfies Award, given to the best self-published adult fiction in the UK. She also writes short stories and has published three themed collections, “Marry in Haste”, “Quick Change”, and “Stocking Fillers”, and had stories included in many anthologies. When she’s not writing, she does other bookish things, such as speaking or reading her work at literary events, such as Crimefest, the leading international crime writing event, the Cheltenham Literature Festival and the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, the event that she founded for her local community. She’s a member of the Society of Authors and the UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors. She loves reading, bellringing, singing in the local choir, gardening, knitting, sketching and travelling with her family in their camper van. Her many hobbies mean she is never short of ideas for her gentle tales of rural life.
My thoughts: I was in the chess club at school, mostly because we could eat our lunches in the classroom and not have to brave the playground and the soaking wet foam footballs being violently kicked at you. Thankfully there were no murders.
When Alice decides to organise a showcase and auction to sell some of her ex-boyfriend’s chess sets, she certainly doesn’t expect it to end in death for one of the attendees. He was also stealing chess pieces, and not even from the more expensive, antique sets, but plastic replicas of the Isle of Lewis figures. Very strange.
And the case gets stranger, a man wanders into Alice’s shop in the middle of the night, and when she tries to locate the original seller of the set, she gets hung up on.
Clearly there’s more going on here than first appears, luckily there are clever local coppers on the case, as well as Alice and her friends. A bit of bellringing and a set up to catch the culprit. It’s all very action film in a country village! Great fun as always from Debbie Young.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Magic, history, ancient artifacts, and yes, romance. You’ll find it all in S.C. Grayson’s new release, Monsters in the Museum!
Monsters in the Museum: A Contemporary Fantasy Romance (Defenders of the Light Book 1)
Publication Date: March 4, 2025
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Secret Societies
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Dual Timeline
Star-crossed Lovers
Magical Artifacts
Greek mythology
Academia Setting
A hidden world of magic lurks in the shadows of history.
Nora is gunning for a promotion at The Chicago Field Museum. The discovery of two ancient Greek weapons unlike any she’s seen before might be her big break—but the artifacts are more than they seem, and the secrets they hold could upend Nora’s world completely.
Trying to uncover their history, Nora enlists the help of professor of ancient languages, Dr. Adam Scott, an undeniably handsome man of intrigue. Nora finds herself drawn to the professor, who seems to be overflowing with charm—and secrets. Trying to uncover what he’s hiding, Nora discovers that Adam is actually an immortal sorcerer and a member of a secret society that has been in hiding since the days of the Greek Empire.
When Nora’s work draws the attention of the Shadow, a powerful force that feeds off fear and negative emotions, she finds herself thrust into a perilous world of myths and monsters. Complicating things further is her undeniable desire for Adam and the feeling that he may be concealing more than his status as an immortal sorcerer. Now it’s not just Nora’s job on the line as she races to uncover the mysteries of the past—it’s her life.
This book was previously published under the title Spears and Shadows. This new version has significant additions and has been freshly edited to provide an expanded story and enhanced reading experience.
ramblingmads 