Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Heretic Cypher – Murray Bailey

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When Egyptologist Alex MacLure’s friend and mentor dies he’s stunned to discover she’s left a message—hidden, encoded, and meant only for him.

With a mysterious artifact and a trail of cryptic symbols, Alex is thrust into a deadly race against time. What begins as a quest to finish her research quickly spirals into a chilling conclusion: her death was no accident. She was murdered for what she discovered.

Now he’s the next target.

Hunted by a ruthless adversary, Alex finds himself swept from the academic halls of London to the heart of Egypt’s oldest sites.

As he races to decode a forgotten truth buried beneath centuries of deception, powerful enemies close in—willing to kill to protect a secret—a revelation so explosive, it could rewrite everything we know about ancient Egypt and religion.

My thoughts: A new series from the always excellent Murray Bailey is exciting. This time we’re in Egypt on the trail of ancient secrets in the desert. Alex MacLure is trying to solve the mystery left after his friend is brutally murdered. Her research must lead to something so explosive, it’s worth killing for.

Alex is an accountant turned Egyptologist, hardly a James Bond figure, but now he’s being followed, threatened, held up at gun point and generally having to live on his wits. Rescued by Rebecca, after a harrowing moment by the river, they join forces to unravel the secrets hidden in a stone tablet, translating the writing to find where it leads. But Alex is a bit too trusting sometimes, and not everyone he meets has his best interests at heart.

I was absolutely hooked, I’ve been fascinated by the world of Ancient Egypt since we first learnt about the pyramids at primary school, it’s incredible to think that such an advanced society existed thousands of years ago and all we’re left with are tombs and ruins, but what incredible tombs and ruins. My mum used to take me to the British Museum to see all the (stolen) artifacts housed there, and while now I think they should be returned and the mummies re-buried and allowed to rest in peace, as a child I was transfixed.

This book brings that lost world into the twenty-first century, the secrets of so long ago still matter to some people, and they will go to any lengths to stop them coming out.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next installment, Alex is a great protagonist, clever and a bit naive, but somehow managing to stay alive and unravel the clues left behind.

*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 Marriage Monitoring Aunties’ Association – Ola Awonubi

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Friendships – fantastic. Family – getting better. Career – promotion on the cards.
Romance – seriously delayed Sade Sodipo is ready to meet ‘the one’ and finally fulfil the Nigerian Dream. So far God hasn’t
performed that little miracle quite yet, but it’ll happen this year for sure. Especially if her mother, two best friends, younger sister and all those in the unofficial Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association, have anything to say about it.
She might love her job, have great friends, and even own her own home, but according to the meddling aunties, this is why she’s still single at 50. Not wanting to turn into a bitter aunty herself, Sade knows it’s time to get serious, but the options aren’t looking great – zero potential at church, work or in her social life.
What if her prayers for the perfect man have got lost? Or maybe Sade’s happy-ever-after is right on time…

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Author Bio –
Ola Awonubi is an award-winning author, creative writing tutor, and speaker, known for her compelling storytelling that bridges cultures and histories. Born in London to Nigerian parents, she spent part of her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK, where she pursued her passion for writing.

At the age of 40, Ola rekindled her dream of becoming a writer and earned an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East London. Her talent quickly gained recognition—her short story The Pink
House won first prize in the National Words of Colour competition (2008), and The Go-Slow Journey secured first prize in the fiction category of Queen Mary Wasafiri’s New Writing Prize (2009). She was also honored with the Best Author CA Award (2019).

Ola has authored eight books, including Love’s Persuasion, Love Me Unconditionally, and the anthology Naija Love Stories. Her historical fiction novel, A Nurse’s Tale, published by One More Chapter Books (HarperCollins) in July 2023, became a bestseller in Canada, earning a spot on The Globe and Mail’s historical fiction chart. It was also recognized by the Brown Girl Collective as a favourite historical fiction book of 2024.
Her upcoming romantic comedy, The Marriage Monitoring Aunties’ Association, is set for release in Summer 2025, as part of a two-book deal. She is also working on a Jane Austen adaptation set in Lagos, currently under consideration by publishers and agents.

Beyond her writing, Ola is a creative writing tutor and speaker, sharing her expertise at prestigious events such as the Black British Book Festival, Meet-Cute Romance Festival, and London Festival ofWriting. She will also be speaking at The London Writers Festival, Jericho Writers Conference,  inspiring aspiring authors with her insights on storytelling, publishing, and book marketing.
Ola’s work has been featured in Afreada, Brittle Paper, Story Time, Woven Tale Press, and  NaijaStories.com, with over 15 short stories published across various literary platforms.

Through her Substack newsletter, “The Resilient Writer,” she provides actionable writing guidance,  digital resources, and industry insights, helping fellow creatives refine their craft and build their
author brands.

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Tik Tok Author Central


Giveaway to Win a Paperback copy of The Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association (Open to UK only)

My thoughts: I really like Sade, she’s a successful woman, owns her own home, has a nice group of friends, is an active member of her church and a loving daughter, sister and auntie. She’s also single at almost fifty.

And while she’s not especially worried, it seems to be causing concern for her mum, and the infamous Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association, who always have plenty to say on the matter.

When she does meet the rather nice Jimi Taylor, there’s an instant attraction, but she wants to keep things professional and her mum isn’t too keen as he has an ex-wife and son. But Sade is a woman who knows her own mind and after a series of dates involving some very delicious sounding food (I wasn’t hungry before I read this book, I was after), things start hotting up, but can Sade keep things secret from the MMAA or will they be sticking their oars in?

Funny, wry and with a lot of heart, this is a great later in life love story.

Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The
winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by
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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 this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Solace of Dusk – K.V. Meadows

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Welcome to the tour for Solace of Dusk by K.V. Meadows. Read now on Kindle Unlimited!

Solace of Dusk (Dusk and Embers Book 1)

Release Date: March 2025

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Those who play with prophecies will get burned…

23-year-old Undesirable, Durvla Garrick, has a dangerous secret. Being both deaf and having a chronic ailment, her very existence is treasonous. So, when the Queen’s mercenaries accuse her of stealing a dress, she comes quietly—better to be arrested for her knitting skills than her illness.

Under the watchful eye of the broody royal guard, Tiernan Kilkenny—the embodiment of the very people she’s spent her life hiding from—Durvla is appointed dressmaker to the princess. But castle life isn’t quite what she expected, and nor is its staff…

With the Queen dying, Princess Carys Meredyth fa Rhodri is reluctant to inherit the throne of a broken Kingdom when she feels so broken herself. Magic has been outlawed for a millennium—so why are her memories filled with whispers of enchantment?

When Carys finds a book that only she can read, more questions unravel. Are the fairytales that have provided her comfort since childhood really only stories? Or has the truth been right there all along?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Content Warnings:


-Violence (real world weapons, prolonged torture, magic wielding), blood without gore, and violent killing
-Child abandonment, infant death (not detailed), and a brief mention of miscarriage
-Unmanaged severe mental illness, anxiety and anxiety attacks, suicidal ideation
-Sensual and sexual content (on page, non-explicit) -Grief and loss, mentions of parental death, terminal illness
-Disability prejudice, ableism, classism
-Profanity

My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book (now on KU) and am eagerly looking forward to book two.

With Welsh and Celtic mythology influences, this is a kingdom under attack from within. The princess, Carys, is worried about her invalid mother, and leaving much of the running of the country to the council. Which might not be the best idea.

Elsewhere Durvla, a botanist, is trying to keep her younger brother safe and hidden. She’s deaf and he’s autistic, both things seen as undesirable in the world they live in. Things that could see them taken away and thrown in the terrifying prison. When she does get seized, she ends up as Carys’ dressmaker, a path to freedom opens up.

But others have their own plans for the kingdom, evil plans. And things go wrong for Carys and for Durvla.

This is gripping, funny, intelligent fantasy with interesting and relatable protagonists and the magic system was also intriguing. I can’t wait for the next installment, it ends on such a cliffhanger.

IG: @authorkvmeadows @rrbooktours

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#rrbooktours #rrbtSolaceofDuskTour #solaceofdusk #duskandemberseries #romanticfantasy #romantasybooks #romantasyreads #kindleunlimited #kufantasy #booktours

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Betrayal of Thomas True – A.J. West

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The Betrayal of Thomas True is out now in glorious purple paperback and I am re-sharing my thoughts from the hardback tour below. You can buy a copy from all the best bookshops or direct from Orenda Books.

It is the year 1710, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?

Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

A.J. West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a longforgotten true story. An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events. A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world. To connect with AJ and discover more about his research, visit http://www.ajwestauthor.com

My thoughts: set in the world of molly houses, secretive clubs where gay and bisexual men gathered when homosexuality was illegal and men could be hung for the crime of sodomy, The Betrayal of Thomas True relates in slightly Dickensian ways, the story of young Thomas True, who runs away to London from Highgate (then a village outside of London) to stay with his relatives, a macabre uncle and aunt and cousin Abigail, his pen pal. They run a chandlery – making candles, and Thomas asks to apprentice rather than return to his parents.

He meets The community of “mollies” that gather at Mother Clap’s, discovering his place and his true desires there. Unfortunately the men who congregate there are under threat and with a Rat passing their names to the authorities and their friends being killed.

There’s a playfulness to the language – and certainly in the nicknames the mollies use for themselves in their community, as well as in the characters’ daytime names. As Gabriel and Thomas hunt for this Rat, as their friends are arrested and prosecuted, executed and murdered, and as the two fall in love; they see horrors, confront assassins and venture into Bedlam to rescue one of their number.

Georgian London’s dank underworld, it’s sinister demi monde is explored in fascinating and intelligent detail. Despite the darkness of Thomas’ London life, there is some brightness and colour in his misadventures. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and was sad to reach its end.

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Blog Tour: Jaipur Moon – Liz Harris

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Jaipur, 1934

When Philip Grainger and Frank Fletcher met late at night on the edge of an indigo plantation in Gujarat back in 1916, and one of them handed a new born baby to the other and walked away, their stated intention was never to see each other again.

In Jaipur, 1934, almost eighteen years later, Philip’s daughter, Eleanor, is excited to learn that a new family has moved into the street where they live, and that the family has a daughter similar in age to
herself.

When Frank Fletcher, having struggled for years to make a profit from his isolated indigo plantation, turns to exporting, he is encouraged by his exporter friend, Maxwell Anderson, to move his family to
Jaipur. His daughter, Alice, hopes that at last she will make some friends.
But where there are secrets, someone invariably senses a secret, is determined to uncover it and use it to his advantage. Nothing stays hidden for ever…

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Liz Harris is the author of the historical novels THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time &
Romance Book of the Year 2012) and A BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013).

Both they and THE LOST GIRL/GOLDEN TIGER and A WESTERN HEART were shortlisted for Best Historical Romance by The Festival of Romance. In addition are contemporary novels EVIE UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION, THE BEST FRIEND and WORD PERFECT. THE DARK HORIZON, THE FLAME WITHIN and THE LENGTHENING SHADOW, set between the wars, comprise The Linford Collection, which was followed by The Colonials : DARJEELING INHERITANCE, COCHIN FALL, HANOI SPRING and SIMLA MIST.

The second edition of THE ROAD BACK appeared in August 2022, followed by IN A FAR PLACE. Second editions of A BARGAIN STRUCK and GOLDEN TIGER were published in 2023. THE LOOSE THREAD, the first in the Three Sisters trilogy, was published in February 2024, THE SILKEN KNOT, the second in September 2024 and THE WOVEN LIE in February 2025. AWESTERN HEART was published December 2024.

In addition to these, Liz has had short stories published in anthologies and magazines.

Twitter Handle: @lizharrisauthor
Bluesky handle: @lizharris.bsky.social
Instagram Handle: liz.harris.52206
Facebook: Liz Harris Website

My thoughts: Set during the height of the British Empire among the expat community of Jaipur, who gather at the Bitish club to socialise and mingle. 

When a new family move in down the road, Eleanor Grainger is pleased that there’s a daughter close to her age, potentially a new friend. But there’s a connection between the two families that she has no idea about. She and Alice do become friends, although Alice has secretly learnt about the connection.

As the two girls shop and Eleanor and friend Harriet show Alice the beautiful buildings of Jaipur, the fathers attempt to keep their families apart. Meanwhile a gem smuggling operation sets up in town, risking businesses and prison for anyone caught. As the men get drawn into conspiracies and plots, they are secretly under surveillance. When the truth is exposed, everything will change.

Intelligent and engaging, this was a pleasure to read and brought the past vividly to life, with an intriguing plot and likeable characters.

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

    blog tour, books, reviews

    Blog Tour: Murder Most Wilde – Helen Golden

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    In the world of amateur theatre, the drama isn’t all onstage…

    Tragedy Strikes the Windstanton Players
    Popular local actor, Noel Ashworth, who collapsed during the rehearsal of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, was pronounced dead at the scene. As shock ripples through Windstanton’s tight-knit amateur theatre group, the Fenshire Police are looking at them as suspects.

    I can’t let Perry’s acting debut end in disaster! With the cast spooked and the local police under-resourced, Bea—along with Perry, Rich, Simon, and her trusty Westie, Daisy must shift through the
    cast’s petty jealousies and diva behaviour to unmask the killer before they strike again.

    When the show must go on…will everyone make it to opening night?

    Amazon US Amazon UK 


    Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.
    With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—
    including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces.
    Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.
    Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.
    If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.

    Instagram Facebook TikTok Twitter

    My thoughts: Yay! We’re back in Fenshire with Lady Bea, Perry, the rest of team Royal Investigation and most importantly, of course, Daisy. Perry’s landed the lead role of Algernon in the local am dram production of The Importance of Being Earnest, and is eagerly looking forward to opening night. Then mid rehearsal, disaster strikes as Noel, playing Jack, collapses on stage.

    It could be a heart attack, but forensics reveal it was murder! Call in the team. While Perry keeps his ear to the ground with the cast and crew, Bea helps the local detectives search for evidence. Someone’s telling fibs, and everyone has secrets.

    Bea’s also trying to look forward to marrying Rich, but the press interest is a nightmare and now her uncle and aunt, the King and Queen, have asked for her help. Will her future look so very different from how it does now?

    With another clever and complicated case to investigate, questions about the future have to wait, but everyone’s in a state of flux and if they can get this mystery solved, maybe it’s time to make some decisions. Hopefully it’ll all end well!

    Loved this outing for the gang, Daisy is still on a diet, and once again finds clues and generally is an excellent canine detective. The humans have plenty on their plates and need a break to sort through it all. The series is taking a hiatus, as are the whole gang, so fingers crossed more adventures await in the future. 

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

    blog tour, books, reviews

    Blog Tour: The Case of the Body on the Orient Express – Kelly Oliver

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    Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in
    both her work and private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.

    But before the duo can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as the last person to speak to
    the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect in his murder.

    As the train hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.

    Can Eliza and Theo stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?

    Purchase


    Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in
    WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

    Facebook: @KellyOliverAuthor
    Twitter: @KellyOliverBook
    Instagram: @kellyoliverbooks
    Newsletter
    Bookbub profile: @KellyOliverBook

    My thoughts: Would I willingly get on the Orient Express with Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers having already been involved in a murder case with them? Not sure, but Eliza does. And a fellow traveller, an old flame of Sayers’, promptly drops dead in the dining car.

    Eliza knows her employer didn’t kill him, but somebody did, and far from the heart attack others suspect, she thinks it’s poison. Christie of course was a pharmacist and knew all about poison, but has no connection to the deceased, so Eliza rules her out. But the man’s wife ate from the same plate, so how, if it poison, did she survive?

    Digging into the man’s life and secrets, Eliza and Theo (working on the train as a waiter/general dogsbody alongside a very young future George Orwell) must solve the case before anyone else is killed or disappears. With a train full of suspects, a mysterious inspector, and no official authority to investigate, what could go wrong?

    Clever, full of little literary references, twists and with a canine sidekick, courtesy of Eliza’s beagle Queenie, as well as an espionage angle when MI5 operative (and Eliza’s sister) Jane joins them, there’s plenty for the duo to dig into here. Very enjoyable.

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

    blog tour, books, reviews

    Blog Tour: Legacy.exe – J.A. Gillette

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    Welcome to the tour for Legacy.exe by J.A. Gillette. Read on for more details!



    Legacy.exe (The Bailey Files Book 1)
    Release Date: March 30, 2025
    Genre: LGBTQ+ Science Fiction/ Dystopian

    Representation:
    Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), lesbian, bisexual, BIPOC, intersex

    Success and failure, reason and passion, Blair and Roslyn.

    When these two roommates volunteer for a brain mapping experiment at Michigan University, all they’re looking for is one last shared experience to cap off their semester together. Despite Roslyn’s misgivings, Blair leaves her behind and enters the imaging chamber without a care in the world.
    Then fifty years pass in the blink of an eye.
    Blair wakes up alone in New York City, far removed from everyone she’s ever loved, including Roslyn. She’s been murdered, but a digital copy of her mind remains trapped inside a synthetic body. With the help of a cheery young AI and a street-savvy private investigator, she resolves to hunt down her killer before they can strike again.
    But Blair soon discovers she’s not quite alone as she believed; Roslyn’s memories are still alive inside her. In pursuing the mystery, these two head-mates learn their deaths may be as closely linked as their new lives. It’s a test of cooperation and compromise for these polar opposites, and if they fail, one or both of them could be deleted forever. They’ll either live together, or die alone.

    Content Warnings: Death, gaslighting, violence, suicidal ideation, radical ideologies, codependency, transphobia, violation, child in peril

    GET IT HERE

    My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, it’s a clever, future set thriller, where you can upload your consciousness into a replica body when you die. Unfortunately Blair is missing the last 50 years of memories, and doesn’t know what’s going on. Thankfully between the AI past her built and the PI she hired, they’ve got it covered. Oh, and she’s sharing head space with her former BFF, college roommate and ex-girlfriend Roslyn.

    Both women have the knowledge and skills needed to survive the dangerous future they find themselves in, as long as they don’t fall out. And you thought sharing a room was hard! Try sharing your whole body.

    Hopefully book two would be out in the not too distant future as there’s lots of mysteries still to unpack and I want more!



    IG: @j.a.gillette @rrbooktours
    Tags:
    #rrbooktours #rrbtLegacyexe #legacyexe #lgtbq+sciencefiction #scifibooks #scifidystopian #sciencefiction #booktours

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

    blog tour, books, reviews

    Blog Tour: Secrets Among Thorns – J A Andrews

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    She’s been missing for 10 years, but can a gut feeling unravel the truth?

    Carol, is a mother struggling to hold her family together in the aftermath of her brother-in-law Luke’s terminal diagnosis. As Carol and her husband Darren grapple with this tragedy, their daughter Lauren mysteriously vanishes. This inciting incident sets the stage for a decade-long
    mystery that consumes Carol and Darren’s lives, straining their already tumultuous marriage.

    Years later, Brenda, a 63-year-old woman who is partially retired, becomes obsessed with Lauren’s disappearance after seeing her face in a local newspaper. Despite her husband Alan’s scepticism, Brenda feels a profound spiritual connection to the case and is convinced that she is meant to help
    uncover the truth.

    Does Brenda know something she shouldn’t? What secrets are the family hiding? And, who is lying?

    Amazon UK Amazon US

    JA Andrews is from Devon in the UK and is the author of gripping twisty psychological
    thrillers. As well as writing fiction, he enjoys reading a mix of genres, watching reality TV and spending time with family and friends…

    X Instagram Website

    My thoughts: This was really good, with a shocking twist at the end you won’t see coming.

    When Carol and Darren come to town, following a supposed sighting of their missing daughter, they meet Brenda, who cleans the cottages at the holiday site they’re staying at. Brenda comes from a Romani Gypsy background and thinks she might have inherited her grandmother’s gift. On meeting Carol she gets the strong sense of Lauren and following a strange dream, decides to offer up her insights, much to husband Al’s dismay.

    Carol and Darren’s marriage is barely holding on, Darren drinks too much and is violent and aggressive. Carol seems terrified. She hopes that finding Lauren will fix things, but doesn’t know if they ever will. She turns to the kind-hearted Brenda as a friend and ally. Things take a shocking turn and Brenda’s insights might put her in danger.

    I was totally gripped, nothing in this story goes the way you might expect, whether you believe Brenda has psychic powers or not. Maybe she’s just really good at reading people or a bit of an empath, picking up on their moods. Regardless, the twists and turns throw up surprises and revelations that you cannot imagine. Definitely read this!

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

    blog tour, books, reviews

    Blog Tour: The Silent Witness – K.J. McGillick

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    History is fragile. A single brush can forge it anew.

    When a stolen Klimt painting becomes a death sentence, lawyer-turned-writer Saoirse St. James must choose between justice and survival.

    Eleanor Ashford should have been safe in her Boston home. Instead, she’s found murdered—and The Golden Veil, her priceless Gustav Klimt, has vanished without a trace. As executor of Eleanor’s will and the painting’s unexpected heir, Saoirse inherits more than art: she inherits a target on her back.

    What begins as a simple insurance claim spirals into a deadly conspiracy stretching from Boston’s elite galleries to Venice’s shadowed auction houses. Alongside enigmatic investigator Matthew O’Donnell, Saoirse uncovers a criminal network that has been rewriting history itself—using forged masterpieces to manipulate the past, reshape power, and conceal the truth behind decades of crimes.

    But Eleanor’s death was just the beginning. As bodies fall and evidence vanishes, Saoirse realizes The Golden Veil hides secrets that could expose this empire of lies—and powerful people will kill to protect it. Every step toward the truth draws her deeper into the crosshairs of Maximilian Devereaux, a ruthless powerbroker whose fortune and influence were built on stolen identities, forged
    provenance, and silenced witnesses.

    From Zurich’s cobbled streets to Venice’s labyrinthine canals, this fast-paced thriller follows Saoirse as she stays ahead of assassins who erase their victims as cleanly as they forge the records of history.
    Because in a world where beauty masks brutality and culture conceals corruption, the most dangerous thing isn’t possessing a stolen masterpiece—it’s knowing who forged it and why.

    Some inheritances are worth dying for. Others are worth killing for.

    Amazon UK Amazon US


    From the bustling courtrooms of Atlanta to the vibrant tapestry of 16th-century England, Kathleen McGillick’s life and career have been a captivating blend of legal expertise, artistic passion, and a
    thirst for adventure.

    Fueled by an undergraduate and graduate degree in nursing, Kathleen built a foundation of compassion and care. This dedication to service later led her to pursue a Juris Doctorate, allowing
    her to navigate the intricacies of the legal system for nearly three decades. Her courtroom experience now breathes life into the intricate details of her legal thrillers, ensuring every courtroom
    scene crackles with authenticity.

    But Kathleen’s story does not end there. A deep fascination with art history led her to delve into the world of renowned artists and captivating eras. Her particular passion for 16th-century British history
    allows her to transport readers to richly detailed historical settings, immersing them in the culture,  politics, and societal nuances of the time.

    Driven by an unwavering dedication to her craft, Kathleen has independently published twelve thrillers since 2018. Her commitment extends beyond solo creation, as she actively engages with the
    writing community, honing her skills through workshops and courses led by renowned authors.

    And when she’s not crafting captivating narratives, Kathleen embarks on international journeys, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences that further enrich her writing. This global perspective
    adds another layer of depth and realism to her stories, allowing readers to connect with characters  and settings that transcend geographical boundaries.

    Website

    My thoughts: The world of international art dealing is infamously riddled with forgeries, dodgy paperwork and mysterious collectors. Saoirse St. James is drawn into that world when a client, and friend, is murdered and leaves a priceless Gustav Klimt to her. Unfortunately the murderer stole the painting and the police don’t seem too bothered about getting it back.

    With the help of Naval intelligence turned insurance investigator Matthew O’Donnell, she traces it across the globe, drawing the attention of ruthless Maximilian Devereaux, a collector, dealer and underworld fixer. He has no qualms about ordering the deaths of those who cross him, and now Saoirse is on his hit list.

    Clever, filled with labyrinthine art world intrigue, gripping and enjoyable thriller that takes the characters from Boston to Vienna, Zurich to Venice on the trail of the painting and the killer.

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