Category: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Stranded – Sarah Daniels

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Welcome to the Arcadia.

Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States – a leftover piece of a fractured USA.

For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.

Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.

When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever . . .

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Sarah Daniels is an ex-archaeologist who escaped academia and now writes stories from her home in rural Lincolnshire. Her work has been published in various online magazines and has been nominated for best British and Irish Flash Fiction and Best Small Fictions. 

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My thoughts: I’ve never really fancied a cruise, and now I really don’t. Cruise liner turned essentially a prison, Arcadia, holds far more people than it was designed for. Descendants of its original passengers and crew, these are desperate, angry and resourceful. Generations after the mysterious Virus that saw them marooned off the coast of the Federated States, the refugees are tired of rations and regulations. And a rebellion has begun.

With the cruel and dictatorial Hadley making life even tougher for the inhabitants, the rebels are bringing their plan closer to fruition. When Esther, a trainee medic, gets swept up in it, thanks to her sister May, she forgets all the brainwashing and signs up. There has to be something better out there, even if it is dangerous. Teaming up with rebel Nik, she prepares to take on the Fed, Hadley and their other enemies, she has to, there’s nothing else left.

A gripping action adventure set aboard a ship, where there’s only so many places to hide, a reminder of the cruise ships at the start of the pandemic, who weren’t allowed to dock anywhere, but were eventually rescued, this is a brutal and desperate world, one I’d rather not see become any kind of reality. Definitely no cruise holidays for me.

*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 Perfect Girlfriend – Hayley Smith

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He loves me. He trusts me. He shouldn’t.

Jay and I have only known each other a short while, but whenever I gaze into his deep green eyes I tell him he’s the one. His little house by the deep forest’s edge is perfect for the two of us – there’s no internet, no phone signal, and no neighbours. I’m about as far from my past as I could be. No one knows where we are, and I need to keep it that way.

He wants me to stay here where he can keep me safe from the outside world. I don’t question him, I won’t challenge him. I have him exactly where I want him. He has to think I’m the perfect girlfriend, far better than the one before. Because I know what he did.

All I have to do now is play my part and bide my time. So I tell myself Jay doesn’t have a clue who I really am. I’ve been so careful. Haven’t I?

A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with incredible twists you won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Split, and The Serial Killer’s Wife.

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Hayley Smith is married with three children and lives in a north Derbyshire village. She has worked as a graphic designer, youth worker and musician, and has been involved for many years in organising music festivals and gigs. She studied English Language and Creative Writing with the Open University and is an avid reader of psychological fiction. Having a penchant for all things alternative, she often dips into the counter-culture scene for writing inspiration, producing quirky rough-edged characters and dark, unpredictable twists, turns and moral dilemmas.

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My thoughts: this was very clever, it took me a while to work out what was going on and which characters to be wary of. Lauren is an unreliable narrator, there are lost moments and she doesn’t explain everything, even to herself (and by extension, the reader) so it took me a little chunk of the book to trust her. And odd things would throw me, her relationship with her sister, her mentions of Martin, her parents. What had gone on there? Slowly it’s all revealed, why she happily moved in with Jay after only knowing him a few weeks, the strange interludes, the reason she’s so cautious around his friends.

This is a story with lots of layers, carefully peeled away as it goes on, as Lauren decorates the cottage and as she follows Jay around town, digging into his secrets.

It’s very well done, clever and compelling. There’s an air of menace, especially when Lauren provokes Jay and tries to get to the truth a bit too hard. The rustic cottage in the woods might not be a haven if she’s not careful.

*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: Arrietty – Abby Davies

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Our loved ones protect us. 

So what if you woke up one day to find yours gone? 

Your mum, your friends, your freedom – all gone. 

And the one person you trust may be hiding a terrible secret.  

Welcome to Arrietty’s life.

Abby Davies was born in Macclesfield in 1984. She grew up in Bedfordshire in a seventeenth century cottage near Flitton Moor and started writing ‘thrillers’ when she was seven years old.

After reading English Literature at Sheffield University and training to be an English teacher, she wrote novels in her free time.

She was shortlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition in 2018 and longlisted for the Blue Pencil Agency First Novel Award in 2019. Her debut Mother Loves Me was published by HarperCollins in 2020. The Cult came out in 2021. Arrietty is her third novel. 

She lives in Wiltshire with her husband, daughter and two crazy cocker spaniels.

My thoughts: it takes a while to get into Arrietty’s world, things aren’t quite right. Her dad seems very angry, her mum’s missing and she doesn’t know why, she can’t remember things and her little brother is getting very upset.

As the story unfolds you won’t know who to trust, even Arrietty is questioning herself, can she be trusted when she can’t remember anything? What has happened to her family and why is her therapist Rose so friendly to her dad?

A strange and at times upsetting, disturbing story of mental health, reality, memory loss, grief and sadness. It becomes very hard to understand at times, like Arrietty we don’t know who to trust or what’s going on, I found myself as lost as she is, but it starts to come together before another shocking twist. Interesting and illustrated with Arrietty’s sketches.

*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 Housekeepers – Alex Hay

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When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King’s predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball – and play out right under the noses of her former employers…

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY’LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

A note from the author… I love books full of big houses, broken families, loyal friendships and wild ambitions – textured with all the glorious sights, scents and sounds of the past. When I started The Housekeepers, I was itching to write a novel set in the early 1900s, to revel in the era’s extraordinary opulence, scrappy characters, remarkable flashes of modernity, and layers of corruption that exist just underneath the polished exterior. I’d also always adored the slick engineering of a juicy heist plot, and was longing to try and write one of my own. I was washing the dishes – apt, in hindsight – when it occurred to me that the marbled drawing rooms and glittering saloons of Edwardian London had all the gumption and gloss of a Las Vegas casino, and could make the perfect backdrop for a high-stakes heist. My mind’s eye turned slowly to a green baize door, and a cast of servants began sidling out of the shadows, each with their own desire for revenge… I’ve been asked why I turned to an alliance of women to lead the cast of The Housekeepers, and it’s a good question, and one I’ve considered myself too. The truthful answer is that I never really saw this tale any other way; the decision was instinctive. I love Mrs King and her gang – they feel a bonedeep desire to imprint themselves on the world and the systems that marginalise them, as I think many of us do. The Housekeepers is, of course, a work of fiction, but the glittering Park Lane mansion at the heart of this story is inspired by extraordinary houses that once stood all around the wealthiest parts of West London. Stand outside the present-day Dorchester Hotel and you can still glimpse Stanhope House, turreted and gargoyled, commissioned for soap manufacturer Robert William Hudson in 1899. It faced 25 Park Lane, a luxury townhouse built for Barney Barnato, a music-hall actor who made an eyewatering fortune in diamond-mining before dying mysteriously at sea. These were homes built for rich and powerful men, containing the most decadent and costly treasures, attended to by a seemingly endless supply of obedient servants. But just imagine what might have happened if some of those working below stairs had decided to claim a little of that power for themselves.

Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. The Housekeepers is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. Alex lives with his husband in South East London. T: @AlexHayBooks I: @AlexHayBooks Website: alexhaybooks.com #TheHousekeepers

My thoughts: this was very good, really enjoyable and clever. I loved Mrs King and her gang of actors, thieves and reprobates. They decide to turn the tables on the people they’ve worked for, the ones who could barely be bothered to acknowledge them most of the time, one servant’s the same as any other. But they know all of your secrets and that knowledge means everything.

The plan is incredibly complex and so well done, pulled off with great flair and leaving the “Upstairs” crowd completely unaware of what’s gone on right under their noses. Never underestimate a housekeeper who’s had 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: Dead Man Driving – Lesley Kelly

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Two years on from the start of a devastating pandemic, food shortages are becoming critical, and rationing looms. So it’s more than embarrassing when a lorry full of luxury food for Scottish Virus Minister’s banquet goes missing. When Bernard and Maitland from the HET team find it, the food is missing – but there is a dead body.

My thoughts: this series is very funny and clever and keeps me entertained. The hapless team at the North Edinburgh HET are tasked with finding a missing van load of food, that might have been pinched by eco terrorists, which could be very awkward for their ghastly boss. But then there’s dead bodies and still the hangover of their last case and chaos ensues.

Even though some of the team are technically police officers seconded to HET, they’re not empowered to arrest anyone or even demand more than a Health Check, which is just what they need. And now the police liaison officers have vanished and they’ve been given a new manager, who doesn’t want to be there.

Mona’s still looking into the Bryce matter from before, getting a bit distracted by a hunky Belgian terrorist, who might be somehow involved in both cases. And they’ve finally let their pet IT nerd out in the field, not that he’s got a clue either.

It’s all madness as ever and none of its really a Health matter, except the Minister says it is, but really it’s about embarrassing headlines at an awkward moment. Bernard also has some family matters to sort out, hardly great timing. Can’t wait to see how it all falls out in the next book.

*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: One – Eve Smith

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A catastrophic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos. Kai is a 25-year-old ‘baby reaper’, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempts to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price. Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hitlist is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out. Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a devastating discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as ‘an exciting new voice in crime fiction’, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was a Book of the Month in the Guardian, who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

My thoughts: oh this one is a doozy. Blending fact and fiction into a chilling potential future where women’s bodies are even more policed than they ever have been, where government agents will literally drag you off to an abortion if you’re exceeding the draconian one child policy. Your every move is monitored, every resource you consume – food, power, travel, is documented.

Kai believes in the system, she’s part of it. But when she discovers a family secret that could destroy everything she knows, and is then pulled into a huge conspiracy with far reaching consequences, will she do the right thing and help stop the government she works for or will she shut her eyes to the sinister truth?

Absolutely gripping and totally shocking, this is another powerhouse of speculative fiction that may just give you nightmares. Would the real UK government go this far in the face of the climate crisis? I don’t know, and I really hope Eve can’t predict the future.

*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: A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts – Kathy Strobos

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When Kiara is dumped by text and then ghosted by her boyfriend, she resolves to concentrate on her successful artist career and leave dating to those who can handle that heartbreak.
But the chance to dress up as a teacup work of art and participate in a scavenger hunt at the New York City modern art museum to win her favorite artist’s painting has her pairing up with a stranger
dressed as a Rembrandt.
He may not know much about modern art, but he certainly knows how to make her heart beat.
Can Kiara take a chance on love again?

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Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She previously worked as a lawyer before switching careers to write romantic comedies full-time and get in shape. Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about NYC and the accomplished heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant
energy and the aroma of Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies. She is the author of A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, and My Book Boyfriend. She is still working
on getting in shape.

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My thoughts: this novella is short and sweet, as dejected artist Kiara, dressed as a furry cup and saucer, joins forces with lawyer Finn, dressed as a Rembrandt self portrait, to take part in an art scavenger hunt. But they find more than they bargained for as they bond and begin to fall for one another. Can she get past her ex and her broken heart to see the man in front of her?

Cute and charming, this is part of an interconnected series of romance stories, all available now.

*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: Squeeze Plays – Jeffrey Marshall

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Welcome to the tour for Squeeze Plays by Jeffrey Marshall. Read on for more details!

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Squeeze Plays

Genre: Financial Thriller

Publication Date: June 2022

A modern tableau about money and power set in New York and London.

Two powerful men, a bank chief executive and a New York tabloid publisher, are at odds over a loan that would keep the publisher afloat. Enter a ruthless Russian oligarch with an offer of a financial life raft to the publisher – a gambit uncovered by a dogged financial reporter who senses a big story.

In Squeeze Plays, Jeffrey Marshall whisks us into the paneled boardrooms and lavish penthouses of the New York elite and shows us their lifestyle, their desires and their foibles. Using his background as a financial journalist, he carefully details the reporter’s story, which ties the central characters together in what becomes a stunning front-page expose. Along the way, the reader visits New York, London, Nantucket and the English countryside and sees not just financial skullduggery but sexual blackmail, strong and principled female characters, and a brisk and often satirical take on the corrupting influences of wealth and power.

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About the Author

Jeffrey Marshall is a writer, novelist and poet from Scottsdale, AZ. He’s the author of five books, including the novels Squeeze Plays, Little Miss Sure Shot and Undetected; Undetected and Squeeze Plays were named ShelfUnbound Notable 100 Indie books in 2020 and 2022, respectively, and Squeeze Plays also was named a Book Excellence Award winner in 2023. A retired journalist and the former editor of two national business magazines, Marshall has freelanced to more than 30 publications as varied as The New York Times, High Country News and Tail Fly-Fishing Magazine, and his short fiction has appeared in online magazines like Bright Flash Literary Review, Ariel Chart and Vocal.com, among others. A short story he wrote took first place in the 2022 Arizona Authors competition.

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Blog Tour: The Genius Killer – Mark Robson

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“The Genius Killer” is, at its core, a confrontation of powerful characters. A psychological battle between DCI Theodore “Tex” Deacon and the purest psychopath he has encountered, Karl Jackson. Local journalist Debbie Pilkington rides shotgun with the Lake District DCI. Their lives intertwine as the hunt begins. The novel is set in the mountains of Cumbria/Lancashire.

Tex Deacon is a legendary hunter of serial killers, but, following the death of his wife, he’s hit a kind of “detective’s block”. Deacon is close to a breakdown. The Chief Constable, Barbara Bracewell, dilutes his duties. She wants Deacon to host a new venture, “The Sir Robert Peel Lecture”, and then to follow that up by helping with the cadet training programme. Deacon’s subject at the lecture is murder, and it’s titled, “How to Catch a Killer”. Deacon’s a humble local hero, and the lecture hall is packed.

At the lecture, Deacon encounters local chemistry teacher, and serial killer, Karl Jackson. The incognito Jackson asks a question from the floor, and the relationship begins. Deacon needs help though. He’s been instructed to step back from hard core police duties, and, of course, he has his “detective’s block”. A young journalist, Deborah Pilkington, wants to do Deacon’s life story for the local paper, as part of a series on “Great Lancastrians”. Deacon persuades Debbie to help him. Deacon can now work covertly. He draws on Debbie’s strong journalistic capabilities, and couples them with his own natural, but currently hampered talents.

Mark has been a journalist and broadcaster for over 30 years. Working almost exclusively in sport. Mark was employed for 15 years by SKY Sports, and 11 years by the BBC. Elsewhere he worked, on significant national contracts, for ITV, Eurosport and Premier Sport.Mark has been been involved in BAFTA and Sony award winning, and nominated, documentaries and programmes. Mark worked on these productions as a writer/reporter.  For the last 10 years Mark has focused on rugby commentary with SKY, as well as Premier Sport and Eirsport. Mark was working on the Six Nations Rugby when all sport stopped due to the pandemic, so he decided to write his first novel.

My thoughts: Karl Jackson thinks he’s a genius, he’s pretty sure he’ll never get caught, even when several of his victims are members of his own family. He doesn’t watch enough crime shows, only interested in the killers, you should pay more attention to how they get caught.

DCI “Tex” Deacon and journalist Debbie Pilkington put the pieces together, and with a little help from a surprising source, finally gather enough evidence to go to Deacon’s boss and get a warrant for the so-called genius’ arrest.

Written with a dark sense of humour and by a writer who clearly has studied the TV and literary classics (I spotted some lovely little references, including a “Mother of God” for all the Line of Duty fans out there), the characters are all intelligent but only one of them is using his brains for murder. And that last twist, ooh, nice. Highly enjoyable and clever writing. I hope there’s more in a similar vein to come.

*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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Book Review: Come November – Scott Lord

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It’s November, 1947, and Jeanne and John, two newspaper journalists, fall in young love as they travel from Chicago to New York to witness the momentous vote of the United Nations to partition Palestine and create the State of Israel. When they discover an assassination plot meant to swing the outcome, they must put their personal lives on hold and race the clock to stop it, uncovering elaborate details of international politics along the way.

Fifty years after the vote, having gone their separate ways, the two reconnect in Italy. Set against a stunning pastoral backdrop, Jeanne and John relive those turbulent days together and explore whether their love has stood the test of time.

International thriller meets operatic Italian romance in this intricate tale of love, politics, and misunderstandings. Come November is a celebration of history, family bonds, redemption, and second-chance love sure to please fans of thrillers and romance alike.

“What a magnum opus! And so riveting! The gallery of personae, the major and minor plots woven together, the delving deep into emotions and attachments and ideas, not to speak of highlighting the historical resolution of the partition of Palestine on November 29, 1947. And Jeanne—a glowing star in the firmament!”—Yael Medini, daughter of Moshe Sharett; author, Pale Blue Valley

Scott Lord is a longtime Los Angeles trial lawyer, writer, and librettist. He is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and Santa Clara University School of Law. He is married, father of six children, and lives in Santa Monica, California.

My thoughts: this was a really interesting read, a blend of fictional romance and real life historical action. Having won a trip to New York, aspiring journalist Jeanne meets handsome newspaper man John and together they are drawn into a web of intrigue and assassination, centring on the UN vote about the formation of the state of Israel in 1947.

They try to prevent a tragedy that might just destroy the nascent country from ever existing, and along the way meet real life political figures, like future Israeli Prime Minister Moshe Sharett.

They also fall in love. But it’s not to be and life takes them on separate paths until they reunite in Italy, years later. John lives there and Jeanne is visiting with her family as her daughter-in-law is performing in an opera not far from his home. Can this reunion succeed where other attempts have failed and bring these lovers together again after a lifetime apart?

Full of high tension moments, and sweet gentle ones, family life and sacrifice, this is a moving and intelligent book about a tumultuous time in geopolitical history that nevertheless is also a bittersweet and heartwarming romance.

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for a review but all opinions remain my own.