From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well – since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she’s been plagued by nightmares.
But when her school nemesis is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction.
Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there’s a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns…
Kat Ellis is a young adult author whose novels include Wicked Little Deeds/Burden Falls (August 2021), Harrow Lake (July 2020), Purge (September 2016), Breaker (May 2016), and Blackfin Sky (May 2014). She is a fan of all things horror and sci-fi, and a keen explorer of ruins, castles and cemeteries – all of which are plentiful in North Wales, where Kat lives with her husband.
My thoughts: this was an interesting read with murders, ghosts, family curses and social media (which is its own kind of curse). Ava has to move out of her beloved ancestral home – only to find out the man she blames for her parents’ deaths has bought it.
She’s convinced Dead-Eyed Sadie is haunting her – a family ghost story says that Thorns see Sadie before they die. Then people start dying, first the girl who now lives in her house – and who she can’t stand.
As things get worse and Ava gets close to Dominic – the dead girl’s brother – Ava becomes convinced something terrible is about to happen and that Sadie is coming for her.
Twisted and tragic, this is a clever and fun horror, as Ava struggles to come to terms with her family’s change in fortunes and wants to stop being one of the “Bloody Thorns” and step out from the sinister stories surrounding her family.
The ending is shocking but ultimately redemptive, as Ava gets answers, even if they aren’t necessarily the ones she wanted.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Since childhood, Jen and Kemi have lived like sisters in the McFadden family home in Edinburgh, brought together by a shared family history which stretches back generations. Kemi was educated in Britain alongside Jen and the girls could not be closer; nor could they be more different in the paths they take in life. But the ties that bind them are strong and complicated, and a dark family secret exists in their joint history. Solam Matsunyane is from South Africa’s black political elite. Handsome, charismatic, charming, and a successful young banker, he meets both Kemi and Jen on a trip to London and sweeps them off their feet. Partly influenced by her interest in Solam, and partly on a journey of self-discovery, Kemi, now 31, decides to return to the country of her birth for the first time. Jen, seeking an escape from her father’s overbearing presence, decides to go with her. In Johannesburg, it becomes clear that Solam is looking for the perfect wife to facilitate his soaring political ambitions. But who will he choose? All the while, the real story behind the two families’ connection threatens to reveal itself – with devastating consequences . . .
Lesley Lokko is a Ghanaian-Scottish architect, academic and novelist, formerly Dean of Architecture at City College of New York, who has lived and worked on four continents. Lesley’s bestselling novels include Soul Sisters, Sundowners, Rich Girl, Poor Girl and A Private Affair. Her novels have been translated into sixteen languages and are captivating stories about powerful people, exploring themes of racial and cultural identity.
My thoughts: some years ago I read and fell in love with Lesley Lokko’s Sundowners, it was the perfect book for the mood I was in at the time and I’ve re-read it a dozen times since. So I was delighted to be able to take part in this blog tour for the author’s latest book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a unique bond between two women, born in Scotland and South Africa but raised as sisters, educated in the UK, but whose paths lead them both to the new, post-apartheid South Africa and into the path of aspiring politician Solam, who is not quite as honourable as he first seems.
There are dark family secrets buried in the McFadden family’s past – but never spoken about, which link the two girls together, and are why Kemi is sent to Edinburgh in the first place.
The connection between Jen and Kemi helps them through difficult times in their lives, even as their paths diverge. Kemi becomes a world class surgeon, and Jen something of a trophy wife, rich and beautiful and terribly lonely.
Lokko’s power as a writer is to make you care about these privileged people and also to transport you to South Africa’s open skies and complex political scene. I only know what I’ve read about the history and huge social changes, but it’s all brought vividly to life – the hope in the air as apartheid ends, the way the former political prisoners take to power and hold onto it.
I really enjoyed this book, as I have the author’s previous books, I loved Kemi, and grew to care about Jen too, although at first I found her spoilt and a bit annoying, expecting her father to keep paying her way as she didn’t really get her life together. I admired Kemi’s drive and dedication to her work – I know that neurosurgeons are few and far between and have to be incredibly focused. The vital bond between them carries the story as we move through the years, as South Africa’s fortunes change and the roles they play within it.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When your dreams finally seem to be coming true, it’s hard to trust them.
It’s been four years since seventeen-year-old Ruth set eyes on her fiance. After surviving near-starvation, revolution and a long trip across the stormy ocean, she can’t help but wonder: Will Abraham still love her? Or has America changed him?
Nowhere’s as full of change as 1909 New York. From moving pictures to daring clothes to the ultra-modern Triangle Shirtwaist Factory where she gets a job, everything exhilarates Ruth. When the New World even seems to rejuvenate her bond with Abraham, she is filled with hope for their prospects and the future of their war-torn families.
But when she makes friends and joins the labor movement—fighting for rights of the mostly female workers against the powerful factory owners—something happens she never expected. She realizes she might be the one America is changing. And she just might be leaving Abraham behind.
The Girl in the Triangle is an immigration story that will appeal to fans of Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani. It questions what it means to be an American, and what is the true meaning of strength.
He stood outside the dressing room with his arms crossed. "I was starting to fear I'd need to send in a search party." "I'm sorry," Ruth said. "I met the sister of one of your friends." "Chayele," Abraham chuckled. "That explains it. That girl could talk the hind legs off a donkey."
He steered her to the line for the stairs and gestured for her to open her bag to be examined. "They fear people stealing scraps for sewing at home."
Ruth held her bag open wide as the guard poked through. Eventually he nodded, and they exited through the door to the stairs. "Chayele seemed really nice. She introduced me to her friends as well. She said you were good friends with her brother?"
"Yankel," Abraham nodded. "He's good folk. He took me under his wing when I got here. Makes me get out and have some fun from time to time." Ruth pondered that for a moment and considered Chayele's painted face. "She's not a—what do you call it? Floopsy, is she?" Abraham laughed. "No, Chayele’s not a floozy, though she might be the center of any party. She's just been here awhile and has embraced America." "America encourages painted faces?"
Abraham tilted his head and thought before answering. "America encourages fun, at least in your free time. Not like in Russia where you just go to work and come home." "How do you spend your free time?" Abraham turned to face her with a twinkle in his eye. "All kinds of ways. Seeing performers singing in shows, going to the circus, heading out to Luna Park." "What's Luna Park?" "An amusement park in West Brighton Beach. You can ride a roller coaster and see recreations of villages from all over the world—it's amazing. I'll take you one weekend."
Ruth mulled over this new word, weekend. She had no clue what a roller coaster was, but it sounded exciting. Everything Abraham mentioned was foreign and strange. They'd sung as a family around the piano or even in the street with neighbors on holidays. But shows? Performers? These were novel ideas.
Abraham glanced over at her with a mischievous smile. "Still love running?" Ruth smiled. "Race you home!" he shouted and took off ahead. "You gonif! You still cheat!" she shouted and took off after him.
His laughter floated back to her as she ran. The cityscape flew by as she weaved in and out of people on the sidewalk, some shouting insults in response. They rolled right off Ruth. Her exhaustion evaporated, the caress of cool air on her face sweeping away her lethargy. She dug deep to run faster, her competitive instincts kicking in. She'd never felt so happy and free.
Growing up in New York, she always loved exploring the city, particularly the Lower East Side. This led to her discovery of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the stories it holds.
She currently lives in Northern Virginia where she takes in the sights of DC with her two kids and husband.
My thoughts: being British I was only vaguely aware of the infamous Triangle factory fire, and this novel, based on historical facts, filled in the gaps. We have our own share of horrific factory tragedies here, and sadly it’s not all in the past.
Ruth and her family are Russian Jews, who moved to America to escape poverty and prejudice like so many did in the early 1900s. Torn between tradition and all that America has to offer, Ruth goes to work at the famous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory on the production line. She wants to help pay for her fiance Abraham’s family to join them in New York.
Ruth is swept up in unionisation, the women’s suffrage movement and starts to become more American, dressing in the new fashions and styling her hair like a Gibson girl. Her younger sister Ester wants to keep their old traditions and preserve the Yiddish they speak at home.
The book was a fascinating look at the struggles immigrants still face, torn between tradition and the ways of their new home, and also the horrific treatment of workers in the factories that helped build America.
Reading this made me think of the scandals of last year, when, during a pandemic, garment workers here in the UK were still suffering in similar ways to those of Ruth and her friends. Inadequate ventilation, poor management, lack of PPE, abuse of power and other injustices. Things that should be confined to the past, long since stopped through the work of men and women like Ruth, pushing governments to introduce laws to protect workers. It’s a sad and strange fact that sometimes it feels like nothing has changed, Ruth would be outraged.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Take 1,000 women, add one earl and whip into a media frenzy.
Reclusive academic Lord Noblet de Beeble doesn’t want to get married but his overbearing mother, Lady Caroline, is insisting he must. When he places an advert for a wife in the Situations Vacant section of his local newspaper, the national press pick up the story. A desperate Noblet calls on his handsome younger brother, Henry, to help him navigate the subsequent media frenzy.
Among the hordes of hopeful candidates to descend on the village of Gently Rising is the beautiful and mysterious Mia Wild, who befriends local primary school teacher, Alice Brand. Alice has been looking for something to spice up her life, but getting embroiled in a very public wife-hunt wasn’t what she had in mind.
In a summer packed with suspicious exes, snobbery, social climbers and sausage rolls, Gently Rising will bear witness to a public courtship like no other. But who will come out on top? Amazon UKAmazon USKoboB&N Apple Goodreads
Heather Barnett has been making things up and writing them down ever since she could hold a pen. She studied English and French at the University of Leeds and has written at every opportunity since, from copywriting to stand-up comedy and sketches. Her influences span Jane Austen and Douglas Adams at one end of the alphabet through to PG Wodehouse at the other. Her debut novel, Acts of Kindness, was kick-started with the help of sessions at the Faber Academy and Arvon Foundation, and then regularly impeded by her two attention-seeking cats. She is head of marketing at an agency in Oxfordshire. Heather’s debut novel, Acts of Kindness was published in March 2021. Lord Seeks Wife is a hilarious romantic comedy and is her follow-up book. Please visit Heather’s website to read more. Follow Heather on Twitter & Instagram
My thoughts: this was hilarious, do not read while eating or you’ll choke. I was really glad I was reading it alone as I’m pretty sure I was laughing so hard I snorted. Honestly I was having so much fun reading this.
Poor Nobby, not only saddled with a horrible name, he also has an overbearing mother who won’t let the fact he doesn’t actually want to get married stop her from encouraging him to find a wife. He goes about it in a very practical manner – placing a job vacancy in the paper and then chaos ensues.
If you need a light hearted, very silly book, with a splash of romance (I was thrilled for lovely Derek especially), then read this 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.
When Detective Inspector Nathaniel Thomas is presented with an anonymous letter and three unexplained deaths in less than twenty-four hours, he realizes that his idyllic home village, Crottendorf, masks a turbulent reality. Summoning his trusted colleague, DS Ann Collins, Thomas begins to unravel what quickly becomes an overwhelming mountain of conflicting evidence. So many secrets. So many lies. So many attempts to cover things up. All is not as it first appears and it proves a lot harder to pin down the killer who prides himself on being more than one step ahead of the DI. A deeply rooted family tragedy, greed and vengeance are at the core of this crime novel. The twists and turns of Sophomania leave you wondering to the very end who the real murderer is—or if there may actually be more than one killer on the loose in the anything-but-sleepy village of Crottendorf. Amazon
Danielle Zinn is a German author, born and raised in a small village in the Ore Mountains/Germany where not only her debut crime novel Snow Light is set but also her second book, Sophomania. She holds a BA (Hons) degree in Business and Management from New College Durham/UK and has settled down in Leipzig/Germany where she works as a Financial Controller at an IT Consultancy. She was introduced to the world of English literature and writing from an early age on through her mother – an English teacher. Over the last years, she circumnavigated the globe and loves visiting her friends scattered all over the world.
My thoughts: this was a really interesting and enjoyable crime thriller, set in a small German town. Murdered twins, missing nuns, family secrets and babysitting his best friend’s daughter (and her dog), DI Nathaniel Thomas has his hands full, and that’s before he has to deal with his colleague’s instant dislike of their new team member.
After receiving a mummified finger in the post, a roofer falls to her death and then someone kills his dentist. Nat is at a lost as to how and why someone is killing off members of the same family, even the matriarch could be a suspect! The case has him chasing clues all over town and much to his boss’ dismay, the bodies keep coming.
In the end, there’s several shocking twists before he finally catches the villain of the piece. His theory about it being at least one of the seven deadly sins – something we’re all guilty of sometimes, is clever and not entirely wrong.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
DYING IS HELL . . . SOLVING YOUR OWN MURDER IS PURGATORY
When Detective Inspector Joe Lazarus storms a Lincolnshire farmhouse, he expects to bring down a notorious drug gang; instead, he discovers his own dead body and a spirit guide called Daisy-May.
She’s there to enlist him to the Dying Squad, a spectral police force made up of the recently deceased. Joe soon realises there are fates far worse than death. To escape being stuck in purgatory, he must solve his own murder. A task made all the more impossible when his memories start to fade.
Reluctantly partnering with Daisy-May, Joe faces dangers from both the living and the dead in the quest to find his killer – before they kill again.
My thoughts: I don’t know if you’ve seen a film called RIPD with Ryan Reynolds & Jeff Bridges, which was not great but I love Jeff Bridges, well this is a bit like that but miles better and British, so the humour is drier and pitch black.
Joe Lazarus (really, that surname, I wonder if anyone gets the Biblical reference) is dead, but not completely. His soul is recruited by the afterlife’s very own police department – as Daisy-May puts it – the Dying Squad, and first job – solve his own murder. Except well, that’s not exactly what he’s doing, but no one told him or his new partner that.
Daisy-May is a brilliant character, smart, funny, and dealing with a heck of a lot. Including Joe, who’s a bit hopeless. The dying thing really throws him and what they’re learning about his life (the dead lose their memories) isn’t exactly great. The Duchess, their boss, has her own somewhat disturbing plans, and things are going a bit sideways in purgatory.
I really hope there’s more of Simcox’s afterlife stories with these characters as I think there’s scope for so many more.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
In 1999, after publishing three cult novels, celebrated author Nathan Fawles announces the end of his writing career and withdraws to Beaumont, a wild and beautiful island off the Mediterranean coast.
Autumn 2018. As Fawles’ novels continue to captivate readers, Mathilde Monney, a young Swiss journalist, arrives on the island, determined to unlock the writer’s secrets and secure his first interview in twenty years.
That same day, a woman’s body is discovered on the beach and the island is cordoned off by the authorities.
And so, begins a dangerous face off between Mathilde and Nathan, in which the line between truth and fiction becomes increasingly blurred…
My thoughts: this was a very clever and engaging thriller set on a small French island in the Mediterranean. Reclusive writer Nathan Fawles has retreated there, out of the spotlight but journalist on a quest – Mathilde Monney is determined to get some answers. But she isn’t who she claims to be and the crimes she’s investigating are long forgotten by many. Alongside this aspiring writer Raphael becomes Nathan’s ally, with deadly consequences.
I thought this was incredibly well written and really drew me in, I would have liked more about the island and its inhabitants, they felt very lightly sketched, but since most of them aren’t involved with the goings on that Mathilde and Nathan discuss, I suppose it wasn’t necessary to delve deep into them.
The shocking twists and turns that Nathan, Mathilde and Raphael dig up as they carry out their investigations and reveal their roles in the past are both outrageous and surprisingly realistic. We know terrible things happened in the Balkans during the Serbian war and are still being revealed and declassified. The characters might think the world has moved on but some evils linger.
There’s a lot of metatextuality to the book, references to other authors and novels, the inclusion of a fictitious version of the book’s author, wrapped as a metafictive device. Even the use of newspaper articles and web pages add to the differing levels of text used. It’s all very cleverly done and for a literature nerd like me, adds extra enjoyment to a solid thriller.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Faye Mackenzie and her friends’ anorexic daughter, Clare are thrown together when a flood separates them from their hiking group in the remote, mountainous Tsitsikamma region of South Africa. With Clare critically injured, Faye is compelled to overcome her self-doubt and fear of thewild to take care of the younger woman, who opens her heart to Faye.
As their new friendship takes the women on an unexpected journey of discovery, the rest of the group wrestles with the harrowing aftermath of their own near tragedy. When the hiking party is reunited, their number is reduced by one. Juxtaposing physical and psychological intrigue, The Wilderness Between Us is a tale of two fragile women who unexpectedly find clarity, independence and renewed purpose as they fight to survive. It is a vivid, moving story about family, friendship, adventure and the healing power of nature and compassion.
Long-time journalist and columnist, and latter-day author, Penny Haw has written for many leading South African newspapers and magazines for more than three decades. Her children’s book, Nicko, The Tale of a Vervet Monkey on an African Farm was published in 2017 and is now included in school curricula. The Wilderness Between Us is her debut novel for adults, again expounding her love for animals and the outdoors.
My thoughts: this was really interesting, as Clare and Faye both wrestle with what they want from their lives while waiting for rescue in the South African forest. They start to bond over their situation, and confide in one another, sleeping in a temporary structure under the trees, surrounded by wildlife – lizards, wild pigs and leopards.
Faye is married to bully Derek, who has gaslit her all their marriage, eventually basically manipulating her into not leaving the house, their son Zach even offers to give her pocket money as a child because he doesn’t understand why she’s so isolated. Derek is obsessed with Michelle, who he’s known since childhood, Clare’s mother.
As the situation in the forest unravels for all of them, all three think about the past and what they want for the future.
Clare has been wrestling with anorexia, trying to get better and eat more, but has isolated herself from friends and family while trying to manage her illness. It’s handled very sensitively by the author, who in a foreword mentions her own experience with the condition.
A thought provoking and intriguing 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.
To the world, I’m @HappyWife. Online, people only see my picture-perfect home, my handsome husband, Nick, and my beautiful baby, Thomas.
They don’t see the real Gemma Adams. They don’t see my past, the dark secrets I’m hiding in my marriage. They don’t see the fear I live in every single day.
But I know someone is watching me. And now, they’ve taken Thomas.
I just don’t know why.
But I’m going to stop at nothing to get my baby back.
Even if it destroys everything I’ve got to find him.
A compelling thriller, packed with suspense – fans of K.L. Slater and Lisa Jewell won’t be able to put it down.
Ruby Speechley is the author of four psychological thrillers published by Hera Books. She loves writing about domestic situations with plenty of twists and secrets.
She was born in Portugal but has lived in the UK since she was three months old. She now lives in Cheshire with her husband and two of her three children and two dogs. She has an older son and grandson.
You can contact her on Twitter: @rubyspeechley
My thoughts: from the blurb this looked like it was going to be a creepy thriller but instead it’s about coercive control, abuse of power and a kidnapping that helps bring the above abuse to light.
Gemma is unhappily married to Nick, more than twice her age (although he lies about that) with a newborn son – Thomas. But Nick is leading a double life and treats Gemma appallingly. Slowly all his secrets are revealed after Thomas is kidnapped by two young women.
Domestic abuse isn’t just about the physical violence but can also be control, manipulation and gaslighting. Nick uses all of these on women – not just his wife. The way the past is slowly unpacked, through the voices of Gemma and Scarlett, and you learn just what kind of awful man Nick is, is skillfully done. It would be easy to make him an out and out villain but by making you wait to see the depth of his evil ways means you empathise with him as a father of a missing child but by the end you’re no longer remotely sorry for him.
Gemma is the clear victim here – manipulated and controlled from the moment they met – terrified of angering him. She can’t save herself and in a strange twist of fate, it’s the last person you might expect who raises the alarm.
A clever, enjoyable and thought provoking 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.
From one of the most imaginative writers of her generation comes an extraordinary vision of the future.
Ven was once a holy man, a keeper of ancient archives. It was his duty to interpret archaic texts, sorting useful knowledge from the heretical ideas of the Burning Age – a time of excess and climate disaster. For in Ven’s world, such material must be closely guarded, so that the ills that led to that cataclysmic era can never be repeated.
But when the revolutionary Brotherhood approaches Ven, pressuring him to translate stolen writings that threaten everything he once held dear, his life will be turned upside down. Torn between friendship and faith, Ven must decide how far he’s willing to go to save this new world, and how much he is willing to lose.
Notes from the Burning Age is the remarkable and captivating new novel from the award-winning Claire North that puts dystopian fiction in a whole new light.
My thoughts: this was a really interesting take on the post-apocalyptic novel. After the destruction humanity wrought, people have found new ways to live, new beliefs to follow. Ven was a monk, trained to decipher the left behind clues of a vanished world. But some of those clues are dangerous.
Conflicting beliefs bring war and Ven is sent to spy on the kingmaker and power behind the throne. There’s a leak, can he find it?
The only thing that grated a tiny bit was the place names – Vien instead of Vienna, for example. I can’t imagine future generations not knowing the names of places – if not from maps, then passed down.
I also didn’t fully understand what the kakuy were – they’re described as giant creatures, but it’s not entirely clear what they are and why they appeared. But maybe that’s to make us as foolish as the people and even the Temple in their ignorance.
I was completely invested in Ven’s adventures and his work hunting for the mole – I missed the clues completely. A truly fascinating, intelligent 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.
ramblingmads 