Category: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: I Kill Always Love You – Helen Golden

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A perfect sunny getaway with no drama. Or so they’d hoped…

BREAKING NEWS

Woman Taken in for Questioning in Death of Actress’ Husband Police in Portugal this morning told reporters that a woman is being questioned in connection with
the murder of the film producer Jason ‘JT’ Kenda, who was married to award-winning actress Ariella St Gerome.
Mr Kenda, who was found dead in the swimming pool of the couple’s villa, was initially thought to have died following an accident, but now police believe the American was killed intentionally. The
villa is next door to where Lady Beatrice, the Countess of Rossex, is currently holidaying with family and friends at the villa of TV’s Sir Hewitt and his wife, Lady Grace.

Who can say no to Lady Grace? When the daughter of Lady Grace’s housekeeper is suspected of murder, her ladyship requests that Bea and her friends prove the maid’s innocence. But with time
running out, can they navigate the tangled web of lies, betrayal, and hidden motives before an innocent woman is imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit? Because even on holiday, the sleuthing never stops!

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Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cosy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two
dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.
I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.
It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a
lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes.

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My thoughts: I love this series, I love the terrible pun titles, I love Daisy (you know I’m a sucker for a crime solving pet, or any animals really) and I love the gang. I mean Lady Bea and her entourage.

Even on holiday they manage to find themselves involved in a murder, when the film producer next door drowns in the pool while drunk. Or did someone kill him and shove him in? At first the local police think it was a terrible accident, but something doesn’t add up and they arrest the housekeeper. Except her mother (who looks after the house Bea and co are in) swears her daughter had no reason to kill the man. But someone in that house did.

I felt bad for Rich, even detectives should be allowed to have a holiday, and Bea desperately wants a quiet break, which when a teen social media star is just down the road and her son is obsessed with her, isn’t going to happen. Teenagers are impossible to control after all.

In fact, the best behaved member of their villa is Daisy. She only chases one rabbit and unearths an important clue in the process. Obviously. Canine (and feline) detectives are just better. We all know that!

Bea and Rich’s relationship is in a good place, even when his ex-wife and very estranged father start talking to the press. Gross. But Bea worries it might make Rich want to cool things off, he’s not used to being in the public eye after all.

I enjoyed this so much and can’t wait for the next one, this series is so much fun and my sister even asked me what I was laughing at so much (Perry mostly, he’s hilarious).

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

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Blog Tour: Murder Under the Pier – Max Manning

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One murdered millionaire. Two suspects, with every reason to want him dead.
A haunted detective, who can’t outrun his past . . .

A body hangs beneath the rotten boards of Southend Pier. Strung from a rusted beam and twisting in the chill February air. In life, wealthy entrepreneur Adam Golding had the Midas touch — coining a fortune from his chain of tawdry seaside arcades — but now his luck’s run out.

Detective Edison Kane — still grieving a loss of his own — stares into the dead man’s eyes
and wonders . . . who left him like this?

Was it the wife Adam cheated on, over and over? Lavishing his mistresses with gifts, while she waited for him at home.
Or the brother who’s never forgiven him for being their father’s favourite son. Disinherited, Tony Golding dabbles in petty crime to pay the bills.
Both had means and motive. Who is guilty of the ultimate crime?

Kane’s closing in on his prime suspect when a second body washes up on the shores of lonely  Two Tree Island.
And the victim’s identity changes everything . . .

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Max Manning is a former national newspaper journalist. He started his career as a news reporter on regional newspapers before moving on to Fleet Street. There he worked for several national titles. The Killer In Me is his latest psychological thriller and is published by Joffe Books. Now You See is his debut crime novel. It was published in the USA by Sourcebooks under the title Don’t Look Now. His second novel, The Victim, was published in August 2019.

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My thoughts: Hitting the ground running from the opening scene and a body strung up under Southend’s pier, why has someone killed local millionaire businessman Adam Golding? Was it his estranged brother or his unhappy wife? They seem the most likely suspects, but all further killing throws a spanner in the police case, and forces them to dig deeper and cast a wider net.

The killer is injecting his victims with insulin, causing a massive drop in their blood sugar levels, so why string them up? What is the murderer saying? Getting inside their head might just explain everything. Things take a darker twist when a local journalist disappears, and now the race is on to find her alive.

Twists and turns galore in this clever and enjoyable crime thriller.

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

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Blog Tour: The Lavender Bride – Alexandra Weston

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An English rose with American dreams

Audrey Wade longs to escape her domineering father and the bleak streets of post-war Yorkshire.
Hollywood glitters with glamour, freedom, and the promise of a life with her best friend Freddie. But when Freddie abandons her, Audrey is left to chase her dreams alone.

A Heartthrob with secrets

Rex Trent is more than Hollywood’s leading man. Charismatic and dangerously handsome, he’s adored by millions and watched by powerful enemies in a paranoid 1950s America. One wrong move
could destroy him.

A romance born of ambition and betrayal

When Rex proposes, Audrey is swept into Hollywood’s glamour and high-stakes secrets. But she soon discovers Rex’s dark side and faces a choice: cling to a man who may never love her, or risk everything to forge her own path?

A gripping new historical novel from a wonderful new voice. Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Wendy Holden and Allison Pataki.

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Alexandra Weston writes historical fiction. She has a MA in Creative Writing from York St John University. She has a lifelong passion for history and loves visiting stately homes, museums and old churches. She also writes fantasy as Alys West. She lives with her partner and a ginger cat called Wilf in East Yorkshire. She sings with her local community choir and loves live music, hanging out in bookshops and eating cake.

Facebook: Alex Weston Historical Fiction Writer
Twitter: AlexWeston46

Instagram: @alex_l_weston
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My thoughts: I recently watched the mini series about Cary Grant’s life, and this reminded me of that, with the setting and the look inside a Hollywood marriage. Obviously, Grant wasn’t gay and hiding, and the author was inspired by Rock Hudson’s marriage to his agent’s secretary, but Grant’s marriage wasn’t happy.

Swept up in the magic of Hollywood, Audrey agrees to a “lavender marriage”, usually entered into by two people hoping to hide their true sexuality, during a time when being out could destroy your career and your life, but doesn’t understand what she’s really getting into.

Her new husband is drinking too much, throwing parties that the press would love to know about and treats her appallingly. He’s deeply unhappy and missing the man he loves, and soon so is she. Especially when she falls for prop builder Jack, but can they ever build a life together while she’s tied to her heartthrob husband?

Life isn’t as glamorous as the movies, and even though Hollywood is a lot better than being miserable in dreary post-war England, there’s a dark underbelly and Audrey is deeply naive about how things really work. She’ll need to be strong and brave to weather this.

Bringing the reality of 50s Tinsel Town during Mccarthyism and the HUAC trials, when keeping your secrets was everything, to life, this is an interesting and enjoyable read.

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

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Blog Tour: Hunkeler’s Secret –  Hansjörg Schneider, translated by Astrid Freuler

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Hunkeler, now a retired inspector of the Basel police force, is hospitalized and sharing a room with Stephan Fankhauser, an old acquaintance terminally ill with cancer. One night, a groggy Hunkeler wakes up to see a young nurse with a ruby ring on her hand administering an injection to his friend. The following day Fankhauser is found dead.

Was the injection just a dream? Does the night nurse not usually wear a small diamond ring? There was no autopsy and a quick cremation. Hunkeler resolves to get to the bottom of the matter despite the objections of his ex-colleagues, who want the retired inspector to stay well clear of the investigation.

Hansjörg Schneider lives in Basel and began his professional career as a journalist and essayist. He is the author of a number of highly acclaimed plays and of the bestselling Hunkeler crime series, now with ten titles published.

Translator Astrid Freuler lives in Lidney, Gloucestershire. She has published translations of non-fiction and fiction, including the crime thriller A Shadow Falls by Andreas Pflüger.

My thoughts: This was really interesting and clever. Hunkeler lives in a narrow wedge of three countries meeting, France, Switzerland and Germany, the police of each nation must cooperate, but don’t always get along and the strange coincidence of several senior people from a Swiss bank dying and being arrested around the same time, has them worried.

But despite being retired, and pretty sure the police are barking up all the wrong trees, it is former Inspector Hunkeler who solves all the mysteries. Along the way he meets his granddaughter and makes up with his daughter, rescues a bewildered artist who just wants to be left alone, adopts a goat and eats some really good cheese.

I really enjoyed this, even if I didn’t understand all the stuff about people from Bergen (maybe you have to be Swiss?), I liked its wry, dryly comic tone, as Hunkeler outwits his former colleagues and does his own thing.

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

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Blog Tour: The Sons of Echidna – Athena M. Bliss

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Welcome to the tour for The Sons of Echidna by Athena M. Bliss! Read on for more details!

The Sons of Echidna

Publication Date: March 5, 2025

Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Greek Mythology

✨️ Umbrella Academy meets A Series Of Unfortunate Events
✨️ Greek Mythology
✨️ Slow-burn Romance
✨️ Cozy but Morbid
✨️ Nuisance to Lovers
✨️ Found Family
✨️ Top Tier Banter
✨️ Smutty Pirates
✨️ LGBTQ+ Rep
✨️ Toxic Relationships
✨️ Spice

Welcome to the family.

In a disheartened attempt to get her life back on track, Lucy takes up a live-in nanny position only to realize that the advert was misleading, sending her world spinning violently out of control.
She was meant to look after kids and animals, not a menagerie of mythical monsters––of human and beast kind alike.

Little does her mysterious new employer know Lucy has her own dark secrets, and faced with the realisation that she needs to grow her abilities to survive, she pushes herself too far, destroying the delicate balance between magic and technology.

To seize control of her new world and save herself Lucy must choose––Her life, or her humanity.

Athena M. Bliss’s debut novel, THE SONS OF ECHIDNA, is a fast paced blend of The Umbrella Academy meets The Addams Family. A non-stop series of toppling dominoes, this book promises to keep you on your toes from the first page to the last. A hefty dash of spice brings the diverse and colorful cast to vivid life, along with exquisitely detailed illustrations sprinkled liberally throughout the book. The first in the series, THE SONS OF ECHIDNA is followed by THE SIRIN SISTERHOOD, THE HUNTERS CURSE, and THE GOD GENOME.

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Blog Tour: The Lies That Hide Within – Megan Boley

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I’d rather punch myself in the face than work with that thunderous oaf.

When the messengers of the resistance vanish and ritualistic killings appear on their doorstep, all eyes turn to the unknown presence lurking in the woods. Convinced it’s the remnants of a
murderous cult—one that exists because she failed to stamp it out—Penny vows to end them.

But as much as she wishes she could be a one-woman army, she needs backup.
Voted “most likely to stab someone in the face,” making friends was never her strong suit, and in the midst of a war, her options for allies are limited. So to get the manpower for a search party, she agrees to a partnership with the giant, hulking, infuriating Mal—the general of the
resistance. Her general and “commanding officer” (barf).
But she doesn’t intend to play nice.

With each step into the deep, dark woods, a tangled mystery unfolds, launching Penny and her team into a cat-and-mouse chase to uncover the truth about the insidious company, Pharmatrox.
But as the threats ramp up, so does the tension between Penny and Mal, putting them on a collision course where they’ll either crash and burn or discover they’ve met their match.

To end the war and stop Pharmatrox before it regains power, the nation’s future hinges on Penny’s choice—will she remain loyal to the resistance and to Mal? Or will she give up everything in her ruthless quest to take down the company that destroyed her life.

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Megan Boley is a dystopian and urban fantasy author (and, alas, a former redhead). Her stories are full of ragtag teams, strong women, grumpy but lovable men, and some steamy romance to
keep things nice and interesting.

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My thoughts: We’re back in the nightmare that is Pharmatrox ravaged America (see this post for book one) and Penny is determined to wipe out the cult that has sprung up and is murdering people, draining them of their blood and still taking the drugs that will eventually turn them into flesh eating zombies.

They’re also contending with the remnants of Pharmatrox’s soldiers, who seem to have a new leader and some new horrible drugs too. And there’s the Watchers, whoever they are  – friend or foe?

As the war enters its death throes, with the Faction getting more ground and possibly support from Canada and other allies, it’s up to those inside the city to cut off Pharmatrox’s head at the source, no more evil corporation and Penny is spoiling for a fight. First she just has to sweet talk the general, Mal, into letting her do things her way, the opposite of what he’s ordering her to do.

Agnes and Silas are working on a cure for the drugs Pharmatrox has been poisoning so many with, but they could really do with a friendly scientist to help them. Will any of the remaining Pharmatrox ones defect and help them or is this doomed too.

And everyone’s favourite teenage boy/puppy dog Quentin gets to play with explosives – cos that’s a great idea! 

I actually liked this a lot more than book one, probably because I was more familiar with the characters and the situation, and I liked the whole Team Outpost, working with the good guys to get things done, no one on zombie drugs, thing that was going on. It was more wholesome. And I love Quentin, he’s such an adorable nuisance, scaling buildings, eating everything in sight, blowing stuff up, making new friends, he would be a great diplomat (apart from the explosions and fires). 

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

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Blog Tour: The Last Mrs Sinclair – T.J. Emerson

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What would you give for the perfect life?

Leah Williams knows exactly what she wants from life – comfort, luxury and security. All the things she would have had if her childhood hadn’t been derailed by her father’s bad decisions. And then she meets Miles Sinclair. After the death of his wife last year, Miles is ready to start living his life again, and Leah knows just how to help him… what could be so wrong with that?

When Miles takes Leah to his chateau in the South of France, she’s excited to get a taste of the life she deserves, even if it means enduring the presence of Miles’ cousin Vivienne, who seems determined to insert the memory of his dead wife into every conversation.

But the Chateau Clairvallon has a history, not least as the place where the last Mrs Sinclair died. And as Leah discovers more about the accident that took her predecessor’s life, she begins to realise that the family she’s set her sights on isn’t quite what it seems.

What happened that summer?

Was it really an accident?

And is Leah in danger?

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Before writing fiction, TJ Emerson worked in theatre and community arts. As well as acting, she ran drama workshops in health care settings, focusing on adults with mental health issues. Her short stories have been widely published in anthologies and literary magazines, and her feature writing has appeared in Stella magazine, Woman’s Own and The Sydney Morning Herald. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from The University of Edinburgh and works as a literary consultant and writing
tutor. She is also the Creative Director of The Bridge Awards, a philanthropic organisation that provides micro-funding for the arts.

Facebook: @TJEmersonAuthor
Twitter: @TraceyJEmerson
Instagram: @tjemersonwrites

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My thoughts: This reminded me of two things – Robert Browning’s poem My Last Duchess, and Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca, with cousin Viv as Mrs Danvers.

Both concern themselves with the previous wife, her haunting the place or a subtle threat about what happens to unfortunate wives.

Indeed Leah does feel the presence of the previous Mrs Sinclair, Riley, but through her absence, no pictures, no one really talks about her. And there is something a bit sinister about being at the house where she died and not acknowledging that. Indeed, Miles seems reluctant to even admit she existed.

Leah isn’t in love, she just wants the wealthy lifestyle, the nice clothes, the lack of needing to work or worry about money. She doesn’t really care much about Miles. Unfortunately for her, there’s something else going on at this crumbling French chateau, with Miles’ possessive and unpleasant cousin Vivienne ever present.

Miles and Viv have a really strange, messed up relationship, and could do with being around each other less and some serious therapy. Instead they’re in the family holiday home, wrapped up in a warped scheme, that when it all unravels, is completely bonkers and aimed at entirely the wrong person. Leah might think she’s the player, but she’s been played.

Disturbing and claustrophobic, questions quickly arise about the death of the last Mrs Sinclair, and possibly a few other incidents from Miles and Viv’s pasts. These damaged and strange people are incredibly toxic and only the old housekeeper with dementia seems able to say that out loud. Compelling and creepy.

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

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Blog Tour: The Prince and the Player – Nora Phoenix

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I’m determined to win over the one guy who hates me…but I never expected to fall for him.

Being a prince may seem like a fairytale, but to me, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. That’s why I’m excited when I get permission from my uncle—the king of Norway—to go undercover as a student at
an American college for a year. And I’m even more ecstatic to be selected for their football team.
Soccer, I mean. The only problem? Farron, the team captain, dislikes me on sight.

Determined to win him over, I start a charm offensive, but nothing works. He only hates me more.
Until the animosity comes to an explosive release…and we end up kissing each other. How did that happen when neither of us has ever been attracted to a guy before?

Farron wants to let it run its course and get it out of our system, but I doubt that’ll work. I’m falling for him hard, but he has no idea who I really am. I fear that if he finds out, he’ll never speak to me again…

The Prince and the Player is the first book in the Prince Pact series and features an undercover, sunshiney prince and a grumpy, handsome soccer captain, two guys who mistake hate for attraction,
a double bi-awakening, and two opposites who attract each other like magnets.

The royally romantic, enemies-to-lovers college romance for fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall and Jax Calder.

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Nora Phoenix is a USA Today Bestselling author of over 60MM/gay romances. As a child, she fell in love with reading, and she’s still an incurable book addict. She started writing as a teenager, and though it took her a while to fulfill her dream of becoming a romance author, she never stopped.
She writes in various subgenres of gay romance and is known for writing engrossing stories that offer an escape from reality with unique characters, plenty of heat, a captivating story, and all the feels.
Flawed, strong men who are just a tad damaged are her catnip, and she wants to give them all their happily ever after. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s spending time with her son, travelling, or
gardening. Originally from the Netherlands, she currently resides in upstate New York.

Facebook: @authornoraphoenix

Twitter: @NoraPhoenixMM
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My thoughts: Four princes come up with a plan, to spend time being “ordinary”, and decide America will be the best place to do this, since few Americans know much about European royals. First up is Prince Tore of Norway, his uncle is the king, and he’s third in line for the throne.

He enrolls at a college in Ohio, and joins the football (soccer) team. Where he promptly falls foul of the captain – Farron. But the bickering and competition between them can’t stop an undeniable spark. Farron thinks it’s just a sex thing, and they should “get it out of their systems” as horny college boys may well do, but as they spend time together, they can’t fight the fact that this is more than just physical.

Only problem, Tore is still in the closet – royally speaking. When a tragedy back home means a quick dash to Norway, Farron gets suspicious. And oh dear, that secret might just derail the whole thing.

There is quite a bit of steamy sex, these are young men after all, working through things naked is apparently the best way to do it!

It’s also funny, a bit silly, and has far too much football (we invented it, we get to name it!) for me, and not much studying seems to get done! Definitely college (university) then!

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

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Blog Tour: Son – Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

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Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo BOOKS Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who
disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer
home in the nearby village of Son.
When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading
her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have
implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari’s own life, too…

Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one of France’s most highly regarded, award-winning authors, recipient of the prestigious Cultura Ligue de l`Imaginaire Award for her historical thriller Yule Island. Number-one bestselling books include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family.

A former journalist, Thomas Enger is the number-one bestselling author of the Henning Juul series and, with co-author Jørn Lier Horst, the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series. One of the biggest proponents of the Nordic Noir genre, his books have been translated into twenty-eight languages. He lives in Oslo.

My thoughts: I knew from the authors that this was going to be good, gripping and shocking. There are lots of different sons in this book, from Kari’s, missing for seven years, to the suspect, whose parents don’t seem remotely interested in him, as friends and other connected people. 

The town where two teenage girls are brutally murdered is called Son, it’s quiet, not many full time residents, and they’re planning a Halloween party, but someone decides to stop them from ever having a good time. The police arrest an acquaintance of theirs, who admits to being in the house, having been invited to bring over some drugs, but says he’s innocent. The detectives don’t believe him. Kari does. She analyses his body language, those nonverbal clues that say a lot more than words.

So she starts digging. Digging into the lives of the two victims, into the lives of their families and friends. She learns a lot of secrets – affairs, money troubles, blackmail. But are any of them bad enough to kill over? Or is it something she can’t even yet guess at?

This is a real page turner – each revelation and twist kept me hooked. Kari is an interesting character, she goes against her police colleagues, determined that the science proves she’s right and that somewhere in all the evidence she uncovers, will be the answer, the reason why two young women were brutally killed. And in helping the suspect, her lost son’s best friend, maybe she can find some peace 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.

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Blog Tour: Murder at Ardaig Castle – Daniel Sellers

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MEET DETECTIVE LOLA HARRIS. A TOUGH COP WITH ATTITUDE, BUT A GOOD HEART.

A secluded retreat. A storm closing in. A killer among them.

Detective Lola Harris is persuaded to take a much-needed break in the remote Scottish Highlands. She’s expecting peace and quiet. But Ardaig Castle, an exclusive wellness retreat for the rich and famous, has its own dark secrets.
Lola soon discovers that someone is sending poison pen letters to the staff. They’re growing more malicious each week. The latest reads: Why have you employed a killer among your staff?

As a storm rages outside, paranoia spreads within. The castle’s wealthy guests are rattled, old wounds are reopened and then — a body is discovered sprawled on the stone-flagged floor of the castle hallway, limbs twisted at an impossible angle.
Trapped by the weather, Lola must untangle a web of lies, grudges and hidden pasts before the killer strikes again.
Because at Ardaig Castle, not everyone is who they claim to be — and someone will kill to keep their secrets buried.


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Daniel Sellers is the author of the Kindle-bestselling Lola Harris Mysteries and is an obsessive fan of Agatha Christie. His crime thrillers are pacy and dark, with as much interest in whydunnit as who. He grew up in Yorkshire, and has lived and worked in Liverpool, Glasgow, Ireland
and Finland. Sellers now lives in Argyll in Scotland.

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My thoughts: I’ve previously read another book in this series, but you don’t have to have done in order to enjoy this.

Detective Inspector Lola Harris has been persuaded to take a little break by her sister Frankie. They’re going to stay in a cottage in the grounds of Ardaig Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Except Frankie has an ulterior motive. Her friend Catherine works at the castle, staff members have been receiving poison pen letters and Catherine is spooked. Frankie wants Lola to talk to her about them. The wellness retreat run at the castle’s management doesn’t want to officially involve the police, but Catherine needs help.

A storm closes the roads and now they’re basically stranded at the castle until things can be cleared and when someone is killed, that means everyone is trapped with a killer. Lola takes it upon herself to investigate and try to find both the letter writer and the murderer before help can reach them.

A clever, enjoyable read in the vein of Agatha Christie, with all the suspects in one place, no way out and a shrewd detective on the case.

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