blog tour, books, reviews

#TeamScilly Blog Tour: Double Review – Burnt Island & Pulpit Rock – Kate Rhodes

INTRUDERS HERE ARE BOUND TO DIE . . .
 
As the sun sets on a cold November evening, the tiny community of St Agnes prepares for their annual Fifth-of-November festivities. Moments before the fireworks are scheduled to commence, an islander discovers a charred body left on the bonfire, and quickly it becomes clear that a killer is at large.
 
Ben Kitto is the Deputy Chief of Police for the Scilly Isles, and with a killer on the loose, he has no choice but to forbid all residents from leaving the island. With a population of just eighty people, everyone is a suspect and no one is safe.
 
When threats start appearing, written in the old Cornish language, Ben suspects that the killer’s motive is to rid the island of the newcomers who threaten their traditions. With time running out, Ben hurries to discover the secrets of the island’s peculiar residents, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before another fire is started . . .
 
No place to run.
No place to hide.

My thoughts: return to the dark side of the Scilly Isles, where this time the killer is someone who hates newcomers to their island and is determined to get rid of them. But with a population of only 80 residents, this should be an easy solve, right.

Even though Ben is from the Isles, the residents of St Agnes aren’t keen to open up and share their secrets and suspicions so he has to race against time to prevent more deaths by finding the killer. But even with so few suspects, it’s not easy. People are protective of their families and friends but happy to point the finger at those who stand out. Like the Birdman, who doesn’t speak and has taken to hiding in the woods around the island. He’s afraid of the killer but also of Ben. But he might be able to help, if only they can find him.

Another sinister and brilliant case, set in a tiny community and full of secrets and a few red herrings, with everyone under suspicion.

WITH A KILLER ON THE LOOSE
As the scorching summer sun beats down on St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly, DI Ben Kitto and his team are training for the annual Swimathon, until they discover a body hanging from Pulpit Rock, dressed in a bridal gown.

ON A TINY ISLAND
An obsessive killer is hunting for female victims. Kitto has no choice but to stop anyone leaving St Mary’s, but soon another woman is attacked.

EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT
The killer must be a trusted member of the community. Kitto’s investigation is being watched closely, the killer always one step ahead, as the next victim is chosen . . .

NO ONE IS SAFE

My thoughts: Ben doesn’t exactly make friends easily, having to lockdown islands every time another crazy killer emerges. What is in the water that makes the Scillies so full of serial killers? This time the murderer is dressing their victims up as brides, marrying them to the island or to the sea perhaps? But whoever they are, Ben will find them. The first victim is a friend, a fellow trainee for the Swimathon.

As he tries to find out who is involved and why they’re leaving old charms, possibly stolen from the island’s museum, on the bodies. What are they trying to say? Once again, in the face of police interest, the community goes silent. Someone knows who the killer is, someone is keeping secrets, but Ben and his team will find them.

I like the use of Cornish traditions in these books – the charms are ones sailors’ wives would give them to bring them home safely. But it does turn them into macabre symbols when a killer uses them. The Scillies are beautiful, but this series delves into the darkness within and the wounds people are walking around with, twisting their minds and driving them to murder.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Silent Man – David Fennell

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T MAKE A SOUND . . .

The stunning new crime thriller from one of British crime writing’s brightest talents, and one of the twistiest, most gripping and emotional reads of the year.
______________________

A father is murdered in the dead of night in his London home, his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. But the victim’s only child is left alive and unharmed at the scene.

Met Police detectives Grace Archer and Harry Quinn have more immediate concerns. Notorious gangster Frankie White has placed a target on Archer’s back, and there’s no one he won’t harm to get to her.

Then a second family is murdered, leaving young Uma Whitmore as the only survivor.

With a serial killer at large, DI Archer and DS Quinn must stay alive long enough to find the connection between these seemingly random victims. Can they do it before another child is orphaned?

My thoughts: David Fennell’s books always seem to explore the darkest parts of the psyche, and here is no different. When a father is murdered, home alone with his young son, and his head wrapped in tape, a sad face drawn on it, the police are scratching their heads. What is the killer trying to say?

Archer and Quinn are a little distracted by the threat of gangster Frankie White, who has promised to kill Archer and her Grandad, as part of his retaliation for the death of his grandson in police custody.

Archer’s Grandad, Jake, then has a stroke, possibly from all the stress and worry, so now she’s back and forth to the hospital, living under fear of being murdered and trying to solve the riddles of this strange new killer. As more parents are found by their children dead in bed, fear mounts.

Can they get out from under White’s threats and solve the case or will a bullet stop Archer for good?

Another dark, twisted thriller from Fennell with a brilliant unveiling of the murderer, a tragic and grim back story and the resolution of the Archer/White story arc too. Highly enjoyable and just creepy enough.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Devil Stone – Caro Ramsey

In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered. The Devil Stone, an heirloom rumoured to bring death if removed from their home, is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists. But when the investigating officer disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate.

Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but she’s confident she can quickly solve the murders and return home to her fractious family. But as she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her career, that is in danger.

Caro Ramsay is the Glaswegian author of the critically acclaimed Anderson and Costello series, the first of which, Absolution, was shortlisted for the CWA’s New Blood Dagger for best debut of the year. The ninth book in the series, The Suffering of Strangers, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2018. 

@CaroRamsayBooks | caroramsay.com

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this macabre thriller about death and devil worship in the Scottish Highland Town of Cronchie. It’s remote enough that despite it being teenagers who claim to be worshipping Satan in the woods, it actually gets believed by some of the locals, instead of the eye roll you might get in a bigger place.

But there’s a lot more going on than the horrific murders of an entire family. Someone is determined to stop DI Christine Caplan from solving the murders or looking too closely at the death of the local DCI, driving home from the crime scene. Who at the local police station can she trust? Are members of her own team involved in the conspiracy she uncovers?

Clever, gripping and with enough twists to make you dizzy, this was highly enjoyable and totally ingenious in many ways. I don’t think I’ve read any of the other titles in this series, something I need to rectify immediately.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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#TeamDaniels Blog Tour: Double Review – The Murder Wall & Settled Blood – Mari Hannah

Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a sleepy Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the case. Then the brutal killing of a man on Newcastle’s Quayside gives Daniels another chance to get it right, and her first case as Senior Investigating Officer. When Daniels recognises the corpse, but fails to disclose the fact, her personal life swerves dangerously into her professional life. But much worse, she is now being watched. As Daniels steps closer to finding a killer, a killer is only a breath away from claiming his next victim.

My thoughts: this was a really gripping crime read that throws you, and DCI Kate Daniels, in at the deep end with a body in the night. Could it be connected to the unsolved double homicide Kate is still working on from almost a year ago? And what is the killer trying to say with his unusual calling card?

Determined to solve the murders, Kate puts everything on the line. Including her personal life. Is the killer someone close to Kate or are they coming for her too?

Absolutely gripped from start to finish, loads of twists and turns. The relationships between Kate and her boss, and between her and her DS are really interesting too, lots of conflict and concern that makes it harder for her to do her job.

When a young girl is found dead at the base of Hadrian’s Wall, it’s not long before Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels realizes that her death was no ordinary homicide. She was thrown from a great height – and was probably alive before she hit the ground.

When a local businessman reports his daughter missing, has Daniels found the identity of the victim, or is a killer playing a sickening game?

As the murder investigation team delves deeper into the case, half-truths are told and secrets exposed. And while Daniels makes her way through a mountain of obstacles, time is running out for one terrified girl . . .

My thoughts: this was even more twisted than the previous book, with young women being targeted by someone with a vendetta, that isn’t even really about them. Can Kate and her team find the missing woman in time or will the killer add to their body count?

Kate’s a lot more sure of herself this time around, her private life’s still a mess, but professionally she’s on firmer ground, with the last case under her belt and a changing of roles above her, she’s confident and sure she can catch the suspect this time and stop more young women ending up victims. Another totally gripping read from Mari Hannah.


*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Two Rivers – Bob Rogers

TwoRivers copy

Welcome to the book tour for Bob Roger’s novel, Two Rivers. Read on for more details!

Front_Cover_TwoRivers

Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be See

Publication Date: June 10, 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Americana/ Southern Gothic

July 1854, Colleton District, South Carolina

A half-dozen years before Abe Lincoln’s inauguration, comes another collision between European immigrants and African abductees that does not end well.

By 1854, the Tiffany family had enslaved over 300 Africans for more than a century on the 1,100-acre slave labor camp that they called the Tiffany Plantation. The Tiffanys were the largest rice producer in South Carolina’s Colleton District. While the toil of enslaved Africans earned untold riches for the Tiffanys, the Africans endured violence inflicted to force increased rice production and profits followed by the indignity of the bodies of loved ones being stolen from their graves and delivered to a medical school.

Determined to put a stop to robberies of African graves was Posey, an eighty-four-year-old man whose ancestors came from the shores of the Bigh of Biafra, now known as Nigeria. It was Posey’s expert river-irrigation skills that made Tiffany crops successful.

More conflict arose when James, the new general manager at Tiffany, realized that Posey’s expertise would be essential for the success of a plantation he planned to gain with ill-gotten money and slave mortgage-backed securities. All the while, the widow Ella, an enslaved nurse-midwife, sought to realize her dream of marrying widower Posey. Matters grew worse when Posey thwarted James’ first attempt to force his attention on Penny, a comely young enslaved wife and mother.

Rich with history and a cast of unforgettable characters, Two Rivers is a sweeping saga of two peoples, European immigrants and African abductees. Together, they experience courtships, infanticide, homicide, rape, rebellions, revenge, sabotage, storms, high-stakes gambling, grave-robbing, counterfeiting, and more.

“De troubles Posey be sees” in Two Rivers reminds one of Southern Gothic storytelling

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Bob Rogers is the author of the historical novels First Dark and The Laced Chameleonwhich earned critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews, San Francisco Review, and Baltimore Examiner.

Bob is a meticulous researcher, known to spend extra time, magnifying glass in hand, deciphering 18th and 19th century handwriting for “just the facts, ma’am.” Bob, a former U.S. Army captain and combat leader during the Vietnam War in Troop A, 1/10 Cavalry, finds his topographic map experiences useful in field research. If not closeted in libraries or museums, you are likely to find him walking centuries old rice fields, battlefields, or in a canoe following the river trails of his characters.

He is a member of the Organization of American Historians and his favorite places to write include his studio, parks, beaches, airplanes, and libraries.

During and after his thirty-three-year sojourn at IBM, Bob created and taught gratis computer classes for under-employed youth (Norfolk, Virginia) and senior citizens (Charlotte, North Carolina) caught on the wrong side of the digital divide.

When not making desserts for neighbors, we see him frequently at baseball games and concerts of the symphony. Bob tends his flowers, okra, and tomato plants in Mérida, Yucatán, México. Visit him at https://bobrogers.biz and see his other books, what he’s up to next, subscribe to his monthly newsletter, and get links to free eBooks by other authors.

His Alma Mater is South Carolina State University, and he studied creative writing at the University of Maryland.

Book Tour Schedule

August 28th

http://rrbooktours Kick-off

https://www.instagram.com/booksawyer/ – Feature

https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com – Feature

https://readsandreels.com – Feature

August 29th

https://starsbooksandtea.com/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/booksy.tx.ana/ – Feature

https://christinebialczak.com/ – Feature

August 30th

https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/jen_lynn_c14/?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw%3D%3D – Review

https://www.ladyhawkeye.com/ – Feature

August 31st

https://lshadowlynauthor.com/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/halfhorchata – Feature

http://ramblingmads.com – Feature

September 1st

https://www.instagram.com/geniewanders/ – Feature

https://www.instagram.com/squeakeysundergroundlibrary/ – Feature

https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/ – Feature

Book Tour Organized by R&R Book Tours

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Blog Tour: Always by Your Side – Julie Haworth

WINNER OF THE ROMANTIC NOVELISTS’ ASSOCIATION KATIE FFORDE DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023.

‘A warm, romantic story about community, friendship and following your heart, Always By Your Side is a feel-good delight, I adored it!’ HOLLY MARTIN

‘Always By Your Side engages the reader from the very first page, and immerses you into the lives of Rose and her aunt, in the delightful setting of Blossom Heath. I loved it’ PATRICIA SCANLAN

When school teacher Rose loses her dream job at a London primary school, her self-confidence takes a knock. Worse still, her stockbroker fiancé, Ollie, sees it as the perfect opportunity for her to join his firm, which only adds to the feelings Rose has that their relationship might be coming to an end.

An unexpected phone call, and an elderly aunt who’s taken a fall, means Rose must drop everything – including Ollie – and return to Blossom Heath, the Sussex village she grew up in.

With no job to rush home to, Rose decides to stay in Blossom Heath for the Summer, trading London for the idyllic countryside. Here Rose finds herself reconnecting to the village life of her childhood in more ways than one, including falling head-over-heels for local farmer, Jake.

So when her London life comes calling, Rose is faced with an impossible choice… to return to the high-pressure life of her past, or embrace the joy of a new life in the country.

Bursting with romance and charm, Always By Your Side is the perfect uplifting Summer read for fans of The Switch and Rescue Me, from an exciting new voice in women’s fiction.

My thoughts: I loved this, Rose rediscovers herself and the things that bring her joy while staying in her great-aunt’s cottage in Sussex. With Auntie Jean in hospital, Rose sets about sorting out the cottage, making new friends, meeting hunky farmers (just one really) and adopting a little dog called Scout.

She even gets a job at the local primary school, providing cover for a teacher off sick. It’s a massive change to her last teaching job and prompts her to think about what she wants from her career and her life. There’s always time to start over and she and fiancé Ollie definitely aren’t the same people they used to be.

A really delightful, uplifting and charming read. Just lovely.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Dating Little Miss Perfect – Cassandra O’Leary plus giveaway!


On an anonymous online dating app, LittleMissPerfect meets HotAussie007 and it’s love at first click.
In real life, a smart but spiky woman in STEM, research scientist, Dr Eden, meets a laid-back Aussie marketing manager, Finn, at the big pharma company where they both work in California. They’re forced to compete for special projects funding, and both their jobs are on the line.
Eden just wants to win at science and in life. It’s not happening! She can’t stand Finn’s too-cool-for-school, nice guy act, or his delectable forearms that keep invading her space. While Finn is stupidly attracted to Eden, when she’s not telling him off, he isn’t free to pursue her. He’s stuck in the worst position in his professional life, and doesn’t see a clear way out. He can’t tell her the whole truth about what’s going on at work or in his personal life. . . or it could all blow up in his face.
When they realise the truth about their online alter egos, dating is off the table. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction, and work together to take down their unethical boss? Or will intense
rivalry cause their IRL work lives and online love lives to collide and explode like a science experiment gone wrong?

Note: Dating Little Miss Perfect is an updated take on You’ve Got Mail for lovers of online dating romcoms, with added science, cupcakes and old movie references! This new release from award-
winning author Cassandra O’Leary is a stand-alone contemporary romance novel of approximately 97,000 words.

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Cassandra O’Leary is an Aussie romance, romantic comedy and women’s fiction author, corporate communications escapee, avid reader, and film and TV fangirl.
In 2015, Cassandra won the global We Heart New Talent contest run by HarperCollins UK and her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was released in 2016. Cassandra was also a finalist in contests run by AusRom Today, Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She has indie published several titles including a romcom story collection, Hot In The City and standalone novel,
Dating Little Miss Perfect.
You’ll find Cassandra in Melbourne, Australia, chasing her two high-energy mini ninjas and drinking excellent coffee with her superhero husband.

She is a proud member of Romance Writers of Australia, the Australian Society of Authors and the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild.
Read more at cassandraolearyauthor.com

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Giveaway to Win 3 x ebooks of Dating Little Miss Perfect (Open Internationally)
Please note that the ebook will be distributed by BookFunnel.

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My thoughts: this was a really fun rom com set in San Diego, with glamorous scientist Eden finding herself pitted against annoying marketing man (and Aussie) Finn. Except they don’t have to be rivals, they could team up against their evil boss, who Finn is secretly investigating. Especially as they’re already flirting like mad online on an anonymous dating app.

Both are ridiculously attracted to each other, which is driving them crazy, in different ways. Eden digs down to find every reason why it would be a terrible idea, but Finn reckons he can win her over with his good looks and accent.

The corporate espionage storyline is fun, and gives Finn a reason to be a bit sneaky, and Eden’s sister and friends were entertaining as they try to get her to realise her feelings and do something about it.

This was a cute, enjoyable rom com and the ending was delightful. Definitely one to curl up with, warning; spicy 🌶🌶🌶

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will
not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random
Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own

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Audiobook Blog Tour: Come True – Brindi Quinn, narrated by Erin Chmela

ComeTrue copy

Welcome to the audiobook tour for Brindi Quinn’s Come True: A Bomb-Ass Genie Romance! Read on for more details!

Come True Audiobook Cover

Come True: A Bomb-Ass Genie Romance

Narrator: Erin Chmela

Expected Publication Date: Coming Soon

Genre: New Adult/ Paranormal Romance/ Comedy

Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing

Spice Level: Open door but not overly explicit

A jaded girl. A persistent genie. A contest of souls.

Recent college graduate Dolly Jones has spent the last year stubbornly trying to atone for a mistake that cost her everything. She doesn’t go out, she doesn’t make new friends and she sure as hell doesn’t treat herself to things she hasn’t earned, but when her most recent thrift store purchase proves home to a hot, magical genie determined to draw out her darkest desires in exchange for a taste of her soul, Dolly’s restraint, and patience, will be put to the test.

Newbie genie Velis Reilhander will do anything to beat his older half-brothers in a soul-collecting contest that will determine the next heir to their family estate, even if it means coaxing desire out of the least palatable human he’s ever contracted. As a djinn from a ‘polluted’ bloodline, Velis knows what it’s like to work twice as hard as everyone else, and he won’t let anyone—not even Dolly f*cking Jones—stand in the way of his birthright. He just needs to figure out her heart’s greatest desire before his asshole brothers can get to her first.

COME TRUE: A BOMB-ASS GENIE ROMANCE is the romantic, fantastic second-coming-of-age story of two flawed twenty-somethings from different realms battling their inner demons, and each other, one wish at a time.

Get it on Audible!

About the Author

20220108_145943

Brindi Quinn is a fangirling fantasy author from Minnesota specializing in world-building and romance. She is an advocate of quirky love and firmly believes that banter makes the heart grow fonder. Her main ingredients for a great read are spice, sparkle, and SWOON.

Since 2011, Brindi has written over a dozen young adult and new adult novels beginning with her debut epic fantasy series, Heart of Farellah. Her works often blur the lines between paranormal romance, science fiction, and fantasy, and her series have been hailed as unique, addictive reads by reviewers.

Brindi is an IT Project Manager by day and has a bachelor’s in communication-based studies from Southern New Hampshire University. She lives in suburban Minnesota where she likes to bike, indulge in video game lore, and spend time with her life partner, Kent, the world’s cutest pup, Burton, and the fluffle of cantankerous rabbits that hop around her house.

Brindi is published through Never & Ever Publishing and Midnight Tide Publishing.

Brindi Quinn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Goodreads

Audiobook Tour Organized By:

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Blog Tour: Blood Sisters – Rebecca Frost

For almost a decade now, Brent Wright has been in prison for the murder of seven women – unless the surviving twin sister of one of his victims is right and Brent didn’t kill anyone at all. 

She goes to Brent’s sister in her last attempt to prove that Brent didn’t kill Sunni. 

In fact, Sunni’s alive … and she’s the real murderer behind everything. 

If the theory is true, Sunni is dangerous and they should leave well enough alone, but neither sister will be entirely satisfied until they find out for certain.

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Rebecca Frost is a published academic who researches and writes about serial killers. Her dissertation was about the history of written true crime in the United States. She is the author of three books published through McFarland on Jack the Ripper, H.H. Holmes, and Making a Murderer, is currently under contract for two books about the works of Stephen King, one through McFarland and one through Lexington. She is also the author of Psychological Thriller Not Your Mary Sue published through Aesthetic Press. BLOOD SISTERS is her second published title through Aesthetic Press. Rebecca uses her research into both real and fictional serial killers in order to realistically craft her own murderous characters.

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My thoughts: the sister of a convicted killer teams up with the sister of one of his supposed victims – who might still be alive, and might just be the real killer.

With lots of twists and turns, this is a clever and twisted tale from a writer with an interest in serial killers that keeps you hooked.

Vanessa will do almost anything to prove her brother’s innocence, and Skye wants to prove that Sunni’s still alive, somewhere. The pairing is interesting and I felt for Vanessa, she’s only got Brent, (and her husband and his snotty family) her brother means the most to her and she never believed he was guilty. An enjoyable and compelling read.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Norah’s Ark – Victoria Williamson

Two very different lives. One shared hope for a brighter future. No time to waste. The flood is coming…

Eleven-year-old Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. But she’s happy enough, as she has a dad, a pet mouse, a pet spider, and a whole zoo of rescued local wildlife to care for.

Eleven-year-old Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a big garden, a private tutor, and everything he could ever want. But his life isn’t perfect – far from it. He’s recovering from leukaemia and is questioning his dream of becoming a champion swimmer.

When a nest of baby birds brings them together, Norah and Adam discover they’re not so different after all. Can Norah help Adam find his confidence again? Can Adam help Norah solve the mystery of her missing mother? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood?

Offering powerful lessons in empathy, Norah’s Ark is a hopeful and uplifting middle-grade tale for our times about friendship and finding a sense of home in the face of adversity.

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Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

My thoughts: this was a sweet and somewhat heartbreaking book about friendship, what constitutes a home and family. Norah and her dad are struggling to survive, he’s out of work, they’re bounced between hostels and B&Bs and can’t afford much in the way of food.

Norah is a wonderful creation, fierce and funny, determined and brave. She’s got so much heart too, loving all the stray and wild animals she meets. Cycling round and round the park while her dad is at the job centre or library, trying to find work. Theirs is a hardscrabble existence at the fringes of society, and sadly an increasingly common one.

Adam comes from a lot more privilege, a safe and loving home, two parents, and his mum doesn’t have to work. He has however, recently been declared in remission from leukaemia, and is struggling to move on. His mum is terrified he’ll get sick again and her anxiety is having an impact on her marriage and Adam. His dad wants to get back to school, swimming and seeing friends but it’s an uphill struggle.

When Adam and Norah meet and bond over their love for animals, both finally have a friend, but it isn’t easy. Gradually however, they build their friendship and their parents come round. But who is the lady who keeps talking to Norah’s dad? Is she from the dreaded social services or is she connected to the mystery of Norah’s mum?

While there are some very sad moments and Norah especially tugs at the heart strings, this is a redemptive and joyful book at heart. Friendship, family, safety and finding a home all provide the warmth and Norah’s sunny nature wins through. Perfect for younger readers who enjoy uplifting stories and are interested in the world and the environment.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.