Category: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Crow Court – Andy Charman*

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Spring, 1840. In the Dorset market town of Wimborne Minster, a young choirboy drowns himself. Soon after, the choirmaster—a belligerent man with a vicious reputation—is found murdered, in a discovery tainted as much by relief as it is by suspicion. The gaze of the magistrates falls on four local men, whose decisions will reverberate through the community for years to come.

So begins the chronicle of Crow Court, unravelling over fourteen delicately interwoven episodes, the town of Wimborne their backdrop: a young gentleman and his groom run off to join the army; a sleepwalking cordwainer wakes on his wife’s grave; desperate farmhands emigrate.

We meet the composer with writer’s block; the smuggler; a troupe of actors down from London; and old Art Pugh, whose impoverished life has made him hard to amuse. Meanwhile, justice waits…

Andy Charman was born in Dorset and grew up near Wimborne Minster, where Crow Court is set. His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including Pangea and Cadenza. Crow Court is his first novel, which he worked on at the Arvon course at The Hurst in Shropshire in 2018. Andy lives in Surrey and is available for interview, comment and events.

My thoughts:

This was a really interesting piece of historical fiction that follows the residents of a small Dorset town after the suicide of a young boy and the murder of the choirmaster who mistreated him.

Each chapter follows a different person, from the four men who are thought to be involved in the murder, to interested and nosy neighbours.

I really enjoyed the use of the local dialect, as someone who loves hearing people’s accents and local phrases it was a treat, I find it brings books to life as it gives you a real feel for place and time.

Moving, powerful and slightly magical at times, this is an extraordinary debut novel and promises much more to come from the author.

*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 Conspiracy – Jack Probyn*

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Candice Strachan can’t breathe.

A small jewellers is raided in Guildford High Street and leaves police chasing their tails. Reports suggest that it’s The Crimsons, an organised crime group the police have been hunting for years.

The device wrapped around her neck is suffocating her, crushing her chest.

But for rookie detective, Jake Tanner, something doesn’t seem right. The heist doesn’t fit any of their previous patterns. And the last time Jake met them, he was staring down the barrel of their gun, bargaining for his life.

The men who put it there have left her to die.

When the shop owner is kidnapped and a collar bomb is attached to her neck, Jake learns one of his own is involved – a police officer.

Her life now rests in Jake Tanner’s hands.

As Jake follows the group on a wild goose chase, he questions everything he knows about his team. Who can he trust? And is he prepared to find out?

The Conspiracy by Jack Probyn is a tense crime thriller full of hooks and twists that will leave you guessing to the end. If you like Luther and Line Of Duty, you’ll love this series that combines tension, gripping plots, and police corruption.

(Warning: This book is intended for mature audiences and contains disturbing and potentially offensive material.)

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Jack Probyn is the author of the DC Jake Tanner series. He hasn’t spent much time on the planet, but he knows what he wants: to entertain and enthral readers across the globe with his stories. Growing up as an only child and never owning a pet – something he reminds his parents of constantly – Jack spent a lot of time reading and writing.

After just about completing an English degree, he decided to turn his passion from a hobby into a career. When he’s not writing, he’s usually enjoying a sudoku or a true crime drama on Netflix. He lives in Surrey with his partner – who also one day dreams of owning a pet. Preferably a dog.

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My thoughts:

This was a really good read, gripping and fast-paced, racing from Guildford town centre to the docks of Southampton, on the trail of a murderous gang of brothers with bags loaded with diamonds and cash.

The Crimsons have never used violence in their heists before and DC Tanner has spotted the aberration, something else is going on here. Racing against the clock to save Candice from the bomb around her neck and to stop the three men before they leave the country, can Jake make it in time?

Whizzing along on a deadline from the gang, the plot takes no prisoners and keeps the reader hooked from page one.

*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 Shape of Darkness – Laura Purcell*

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As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another…

Why is the killer seemingly targeting her business?
Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester with her husband and pet guinea pigs. Her first novel for Raven Books, The Silent Companions, was a Radio 2 and Zoe Ball ITV Book Club pick and was the winner of the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award, while her subsequent books – The Corset and Bone China – established Laura as the queen of the sophisticated, and spooky, page-turner.

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My thoughts:

I’m a big fan of Laura Purcell’s work so I leapt at the chance to read her newest Gothic horror. And I was not disappointed.

Taking in mesmerism and séances, the creation of silhouette art and the idea of being haunted by your losses, she weaves a sinister and macabre tale of Agnes Darken, a woman trying to make sense of a string of brutal murders that seem to be connected to her and a young girl, Pearl, who might just be able to channel the dead.

It also explores the place of women, as both Agnes and Pearl’s sister, Myrtle, are trying to make a living in a man’s world, where few professions are open to them, as opposed to Agnes’ friend Simon, a busy doctor, who doesn’t fret over every penny and often tries to help her out.

There’s also a little greedy pug called Morpheus, which hints nicely at some of the elements of Agnes’ situation.

It is truly excellent, part crime thriller mystery, part horror with its ghosts and grim killings. The ending was very satisfying.

*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 Mask of Mirrors – M.A. Carrick*

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Darkly magical and beautifully imagined, The Mask of Mirrors is the unmissable start to the Rook & Rose trilogy, a rich and dazzling fantasy adventure in which a con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord must unite to save their city.

Nightmares are creeping through the city of dreams . . .
Renata Virdaux is a con artist who has come to the sparkling city of Nadezra — the city of dreams — with one goal: to trick her way into a noble house and secure her fortune and her sister’s future.
But as she’s drawn into the aristocratic world of House Traementis, she realises her masquerade is just one of many surrounding her. And as corrupted magic begins to weave its way through Nadezra, the poisonous feuds of its aristocrats and the shadowy dangers of its impoverished underbelly become tangled — with Ren at their heart.

My thoughts:

I collect Venetian carnival masks, they’re hanging on my wall right now so the gorgeous front cover of this book called to me.

But we should never judge a book by its cover although it is very eye catching, the book inside is so, so, good.

A magical, intricate fantasy, a con artist running a scam gets dragged into a terrible conspiracy that could leave thousands dead.

Ren has returned to the city she was born in to run a long con on a noble family, but all sorts of intrigue abound and she finds herself at the heart of it all.

Tess is probably my favourite character, she’s resourceful and fiercely loyal to Ren, with a core of steel running through her.

I don’t want to just spout superlatives about this book but I think it’s one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a while and I’m already hungry for book two.


*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: To The Dark – Chris Nickson*

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Winter is about to take a chilling twist…

Thief-taker Simon Westow is drawn into a deadly puzzle when the melting snow reveals a dark secret in this gripping historical mystery, perfect for fans of Anne Perry and Charles Finch.

Leeds, 1822. The city is in the grip of winter, but the chill deepens for thief-taker Simon Westow and his young assistant, Jane, when the body of Laurence Poole, a petty local thief, emerges from the melting snow by the river at Flay Cross Mill.

A coded notebook found in Laurence’s room mentions Charlie Harker, the most notorious fence in Leeds who’s now running for his life, and the mysterious words: To the dark. What was Laurence hiding that caused his death? Simon’s hunt for the truth pits him against some dangerous, powerful enemies who’ll happily kill him in a heartbeat – if they can.

Chris Nickson has published 28 novels, all historical crime, most of them set in Leeds, whose people and history are his passion. The Richard Nottingham series began things, taking place in the 1730s, followed by the Tom Harper novels, which begin in 1890 and have now moved to the 20th century. Between them, Lottie Armstrong, Urban Raven and Dan Markham cover Leeds from the 1920s to the 1950s.

The three books featuring thief-taker Simon Westow explore a changing Leeds, growing rapidly in the 1820s as industry – the factories and mills and belching chimneys – comes to dominate the town. The Hocus Girl, the second in the series, received starred reviews from Kirkus, which called it a “tour de force,” and Publishers Weekly, which declared “historical mysteries don’t get much better than this.’

Chris grew up in Leeds, but lived in the US for many years, making his living as a music journalist. He still reviews occasional releases, but his focus these days is fiction.

My thoughts:

This was a really good historical crime thriller that went to some interesting places and made me want to know more about the characters.

There’s several strands to the plot and all of them filled with danger and intrigue. There’s the murder case that leads to some evil soldiers and put Simon in serious harm’s way, Jane’s own shadow and the threat of Big Tom on her tail.

Filled with historical details and strong relationships (I loved Simon’s wife Rosie, she’s brilliant) as well as gripping moments and some shocking events, this was a really enjoyable and interesting 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.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Who is Vera Kelly? – Rosalie Knecht*

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New York City, 1962. Vera Kelly is struggling to make rent and blend into the underground gay scene in Greenwich Village. She’s working night shifts at a radio station when her quick wits, sharp tongue, and technical skills get her noticed by a recruiter for the CIA.
Next thing she knows she’s in Argentina, tasked with wiretapping a congressman and infiltrating a group of student activists in Buenos Aires. As Vera becomes more and more enmeshed with the young radicals, the fragile local government begins to split at the seams. When a betrayal leaves her stranded in the wake of a coup, Vera learns war makes for strange and unexpected bedfellows, and she’s forced to take extreme measures to save herself.
An exhilarating page turner and perceptive coming-of-age story, Who is Vera Kelly? introduces an original, wry and whip-smart female spy for the twenty-first century.
Rosalie Knecht is the author of Who Is Vera Kelly?, Vera Kelly Is Not A Mystery and Relief Map. She is also the translator of César Aira’s The Seamstress and the Wind (New Directions). She lives in New Jersey.

My thoughts:

This was a really good, enjoyable read. Vera is a young woman still dealing with her childhood and teen years, the loss of her father and the deeply estranged relationship with her mother, when, living in New York and working for a radio station, she’s recruited by the CIA and sent off to Argentina, on the brink of a coup, to spy on some potential Russian influenced politicians and agitators.

She’s out of her depth and trying to keep her cover intact (as a Canadian student at the university), but events are starting to get ahead of her and Gerry back in the US isn’t much use.

Vera is a smart person but not exactly equipped for revolution and the chaos that it brings, she is at risk of arrest and interrogation as a foreigner in a suddenly hostile country.

Moving back and forth between her time in Buenos Aires and the years leading up to her recruitment, we see how Vera became the person she is and what secrets she’s carrying.

I liked Vera a lot and was rooting for her all the way through, the plot was engaging and entertaining and the world building meant I could really picture the buildings and people described. I want to know what Vera does next!

*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 Hurting – R.J. Mitchell*

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This is the second DS Thoroughgood book I’m reviewing. Book one – Parallel Lines is reviewed here. Book three – The Longest Shadow will be reviewed on the 3rd February.

THE HURTING finds DS Angus Thoroughgood recovering from injuries from his most recent adventures in ‘Parallel Lines’ and questioning his career with the Glasgow police force. After handing in his resignation, Thoroughgood is pulled back into the line of duty once his recovery at the police convalescence home, Castlebrae, is complete.

Terrorist attacks in and around Glasgow see Thoroughgood, alongside his partner DC Hardie, return to action. As their world as they know it and the city they love falls apart, the pair work alongside MI5 in a race to discover the source of these attacks.
The second installment in the DS Thoroughgood series of novels by RJ Mitchell, The Hurting picks up right where Parallel Lines left off and sends Thoroughgood and Hardie on a rollercoaster ride through Glasgow’s seedy underworld and that of international terrorism.
The Hurting sees author RJ Mitchell drawing from his 12 years of experience as a Glasgow police officer to provide an accurate portrayal of real life police work whilst guiding the reader through an intricate plot filled with lies and subterfuge.

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Matthew James Publishing

Robert James Mitchell was brought up in Stirling. Mitchell was initially detailed beat duties out of the former Blackhill Police Office and then Baird Street Police Office in the former ‘D’ Division, or the North, as it was known to all the men who served in the division. In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

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My thoughts:

Recovering from the climatic events of Parallel Lines, DS Gus Thoroughgood and his solid sidekick, DC Hardie are thrust into another monstrous case as Islamic terrorists pitch up in Glasgow looking to cause chaos.

In a way all the madness of tracking a terror cell and trying to prevent an atrocity does Thoroughgood some good, helping him refocus and distracting him from his grief. There’s a lot of character development here and Hardie is more rounded too.

I really enjoyed this, it was fast paced and engaging, clever and well written. I like all the little details that the author includes from his own experiences as a police officer.

*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: End of the Line – Robert Scragg*

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Read my review of the first book in the series here

Detective Jake Porter’s life was ripped apart by the hit-and-run driver that killed his wife. The life he has been building up piece by piece is rocked by the discovery of new evidence that might finally lead him to her murderer.

At the same time, he has a volatile case to juggle. Ross Henderson was a Vlogger with over ten million followers rallying against the growing tide of the far-right. As his audience tuned in to listen to Henderson tear apart more anti-immigrant vitriol, they watched in horror as he was brutally murdered during a live broadcast.

Struggling to prevent full-blown riots and following the trail to his wife’s killer will take its toll upon Porter, and there’s no guarantee he will come out the other side intact.

My thoughts:

This was really good, the investigation into the vlogger’s death was tense and an interesting commentary on politics at the moment, with the EWP standing in for an existing group of right wing thugs playing at being politicians (pick one), eager to get rid of any critics or awkward questions about their dodgy leader.

Alongside that is Porter’s personal quest to find his wife’s killer, taking on a dangerous and supposedly untouchable gang leader, putting his safety, and that of his loved ones, on the line.

The team work well, handling the case and gathering evidence like a well oiled machine, but they’re still able to be there for their boss when he needs them, even if he thinks he doesn’t.

A sophisticated crime thriller that resonates with the times and introduces new angles with the addition of a counter terrorism detective and new personal responsibilities for Styles.

*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: Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook – Julie Butterfield*

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When Isabelle Darby moves to the delightfully cosy village of Lower Dimblebrook, she’s searching for
peace and quiet as well as a chance to escape from heartbreak.

After making friends with Fiona Lambourne, another newcomer to the village, Issie is left reeling when tragedy strikes and Fiona is murdered, the second wife Anthony Lambourne has lost in unfortunate circumstances. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the local gossips insist that Fiona had been embroiled in an affair before her death, something which Issie knows not to be the case.

Determined to clear her friend’s reputation and solve the mystery of the rumours, Issie takes on both the gossips and the handsome but stern DI Wainwright, making both friends and enemies along the way!

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Julie Butterfield belongs to the rather large group of ‘always wanted to write’ authors who finally found the time to sit down and put pen to paper – or rather fingers to keyboard.

She wrote her first book purely for pleasure and was very surprised to discover that so many people enjoyed the story and wanted more, so she decided to carry on writing.

It has to be pointed out that her first novel, ‘Did I Mention I Won The Lottery’ is a complete work of fiction and she did not, in fact, receive millions in her bank account and forget to mention it to her husband – even though he still asks her every day if she has anything to tell him!

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My thoughts:

This was a lot of fun, a terrible murder in the picturesque village of Lower Dimblebrook brings the police around asking questions and makes Issie realise she didn’t know her new friend Fiona as well as she thought, so she starts her own investigation.

Aided and abetted by fellow residents, and a tiny dog with a lot of energy, Issie soon uncovers a terrible secret in Lambourne Hall and risks her own life to reveal the killer.

As much as you probably shouldn’t enjoy murder mysteries, this was really enjoyable, funny, wry and clever, the author has a keen eye for people’s idiosyncrasies and how village life can get a little claustrophobic when everyone knows everything.

*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 Missing Husband & The Silent Victims – Alex Coombes*

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Today is my second post for the Alex Coombes’ DI Hanlon blog tour. The previous reviews can be read here.

Today I’m reviewing The Missing Husband and The Silent Victims.

A security officer is assassinated.
A small child grieves for his father.
A psychopath commits their first crime…

A frightened Russian woman seeks DCI Hanlon’s help in finding her missing husband. Hanlon’s not keen on the case. Until she hears a name she recognises only too well. Arkady Belanov, sadistic owner of an exclusive brothel in Oxford is involved.

And when DCI Enver Demirel, her former partner and friend, disappears, Hanlon is determined to solve the case.

Forced into an uneasy alliance with the London underworld, the race to him from the blood-stained
hands of the Russian mafia is underway…

Another gripping case for the unstoppable DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa
Regan and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as A Hard Woman To Kill by Alex Howard.

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DCI Hanlon faces the toughest decision of her career as a string of political murders lead to a deadly confrontation.

A controversial, right-wing German politician is due to speak at the Oxford Union. Following a series of murders linked to a violent anarchist group, the city is on high alert.

DCI Hanlon has been partnered with DI Huss to ensure the speech goes smoothly and that there will be no more killing.

Meanwhole, as Hanlon traces the person behind the murders, she soon realises that the chilling truth has a terrible price. Is Hanlon willing to meet the cost?

The final gripping case for DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as An Incidental Death by Alex Howard.

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Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.

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My thoughts:

The Missing Husband – following the events of the last book (The Innocent Girl) DCI Hanlon has been sent to Slough to do as little as Corrigan can make her – working on the missing persons team, a quiet job, out of the way of vengeful Russian mobsters. Or so Corrigan thinks… but when a beautiful woman, who happens to be Russian, asks for Hanlon’s help, well she and Enver end up in a whole heap of trouble. Again.

The Silent Victims – incapable of learning their lessons, the team get involved with more unpleasant and sinister types, this time foreign right wing politicians, jihadists and anarchists. Risking their lives once more, Hanlon and Huss are looking for potential assassins and trying to keep a lid on some protestors, while also investigating a series of connected crimes. Enver is making dinner.

Once again more thrill rides with the three detectives as they get thrown in to more risky adventures and put their lives on the line to stop some very dangerous criminals from operating. I got to the end of The Silent Victims and really wanted there to be more, I needed to know what happened next. There is a trilogy of books about Hanlon’s next move so I’ll be hunting them out soon. I also really want a book all about Enver and his family, mostly because he’s my favourite character and I feel immensely sorry for him as Hanlon keeps getting him almost killed while she shoots off with no real plan to fight much better prepared criminals.


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