Moments before police arrive on the scene of a car accident in rural Montana, Sonia has time to make one phone call. With one word whispered, she sets off an unstoppable chain of events. Once police arrive, she confesses to the brutal murder of her stepsister, Emma.
After, she’s sentenced to life in prison where she learns her stepfather’s ruthless reach. It’s a game of cat and mouse– a game she has already lost. She only needs to hold on long enough to be sure her secret is kept safe.
Until one day, news of an unidentified man’s death confirms her worst fear, and Sonia must get out of prison, at all cost. What did the dead man say, and who heard him say it?
Eva Mackenzie is an author who enjoys twisty, emotionally engrossing tales. Her debut novel has been a work in progress for over a decade. Under the urging of a loved one, it’s finally finished.
She is a wife and mother living on the east coast. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her family, training for her next marathon or reading stacks of suspense novels. Some of her favorite authors are Minka Kent, Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Jackson.
My thoughts: this book did not go the way I expected from either the blurb or the opening scenes. Alternating between characters, this clever thriller sends you all over trying to work out who the good guys are and how Sonia, stuck in prison, can ever help anyone, least of all herself. Why did she confess to Emma’s murder and who is she so desperate to protect?
The ending felt a little harried – but I suppose that did give a sense of the desperation and terror the characters were feeling in that moment and there were a few loose ends I wanted resolved. But hopefully the author will revisit the law firm (for instance) and round off the stories there at some point. Overall though, this was an enjoyable domestic noir thriller with a suitably awful villain and very brave protagonists.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
On the advice of a five-dollar psychic, Tina Martin, a zany, overworked mother of two, quits her high-powered job and moves her family to Shanghai. Tina yearns for this new setting to bring her the zen-like inner peace she’s always heard about on infomercials. Instead, she becomes a totally exasperated fish out of water, doing wacky things like stealing the shoes of a shifty delivery man, spraying local women with a bidet hose, and contemplating the murder of her new pet cricket.
It takes the friendship of an elderly tai chi instructor, a hot Mandarin tutor, and several mah-jongg-tile-slinging expats to bring Tina closer to a culture she doesn’t understand, the dream job she never knew existed, and the self she has always sought. Fish Heads and Duck Skin will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered who they are, why they were put here, and how they ever lived before eating pan-fried pork buns.
My thoughts: I struggled a bit with this book because of the slight “make fun of the weird customs” tone at the beginning of it, which annoyed me as to the Shanghainese, those aren’t weird customs – it’s their country. But once Tina realises she’s the one with the weird customs it gets a lot better. She doesn’t adapt as quickly as her kids do, but then kids always pick up languages fast, eat whatever interests them and generally just get on with it in a way most adults can’t.
Yes there are some things that happen in China that are awful, their human rights record reflects that easily, but this book manages to find the bright spots and levity too. The fakes so good you almost can’t tell the difference, the kind tai chi instructor who just keeps trying with Tina, the friends she makes, even if none of them are actually Chinese. It’s very much a fish out of water story, although not the tasty kind little Pippa enjoys eating.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Witches. Ghosts. An ancient secret. Enter a world of myth and magic through this contemporary fantasy reimagining of Jane Austen’s beloved classic, Sense and Sensibility.
The small New England town of Tarryville, Maine is steeped in history, having been settled by the Dartwood and Farris families who fled Salem during the witch trials. The Dartwood sisters, Eden, Mariah, and Melissa, unexpectedly return home after their parents are found murdered. Upon their arrival, the girls are plagued by dreams in which dark spectral beings haunt them. When the hellish creatures seem to be more than just nightmares, another mystery begins to unravel as they discover that the circumstances around the murder of their parents may be far more menacing than they appear. Frantic for answers, they must untangle the mystery of their parents’ murders and reconstruct the pieces of an ancient secret. With the help of the young assistant curator of their family museum, Baden Correia, and an estranged friend from their past, Evan Farris, the orphaned Dartwood sisters must uncover the truth before the darkness haunting their family descends upon them as well.
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Author of young adult contemporary fantasy and retellings, from fairy tales to classics, N. A. Triptow graduated from The University of Utah with a Bachelor of Arts in English Teaching with minors in History Teaching, Theatre, and British Studies. She teaches high school English and Film Studies. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Strategic Communication and Advertising from Purdue University. In her free time, you can find her reading, watching and analyzing movies and television shows, attending the theatre, going on walks or hikes, and playing board or video games with family and friends. She lives in Utah.
If you could interview one of your characters (or have some tea with), who would you pick?
This is difficult for me to answer! I just love all the characters for very different reasons. If I have to choose one though, I would have to say Baden Correia, the Brazilian assistant curator of the Dartwood’s family museum and Mariah’s best friend. He is just so loyal, caring, and brave. My mom was also born in Brazil so it would be so much fun to chat about all things Brazilian, especially the yummy food with him.
What songs were part of your playlist when writing The Secret of Dartwood Manor?
Music is a huge part of the writing process for me. As soon as I start developing a new book, I always put together a playlist to use while writing it. I actually have the full playlist that I used to write The Secret of Dartwood Manor on my website. It also includes the fabulous theme written specifically for the novel by the brilliant Beckee Davis! Here’s a link to the playlist: https://natriptow.com/playlists/
Tell us your favorite quote and/or scene from your book!
I think one of my favorite scenes is probably between Baden and Mariah when they sneak into the crime scene after the murder. It’s actually one of the audio excerpts read by me that was released on my publisher’s YouTube channel on release day. Here’s a link to the scene if you’d like to listen to it.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I had a working title that I was using during the writing process, but the final title became clear after the book was finished. I kept jotting down various ideas that didn’t seem quite right and suddenly The Secret of Dartwood Manor came to me, and I knew that was it.
If you were to write a spin-off about a side character, which would you pick?
I think it would be fun to see a prequel about the villains’ pasts. It’s always fun to try to understand what motivates a person and what makes them who they are. Knowing that can certainly humanize a villain even if it doesn’t actually make them technically good. It shows that they’re a person whose choices led them down a particular path. Plus, the villains in this story really have some crazy back stories. Whether I’ll eventually write that or not remains to be seen, but it certainly is a compelling idea.
What is your kryptonite as a writer?
My kryptonite is time. There are just not enough hours in the day.
My thoughts: I wasn’t sure about this book at first, I famously don’t get on with Jane Austen and am not a fan so the ‘inspired by’ had me a little worried at first. But this was actually a lot of fun. The three Dartwood sisters, Eden, Mariah and Melissa return home when their parents are brutally murdered but a lot of things don’t add up so they start to investigate.
Blending magic with the mundane, their quest leads them to discover some things about their family and themselves. I think headstrong Mariah was my favourite of the three, and I definitely felt for her best friend Baden, who’s hopelessly in love with her and she’s oblivious.
It was really interesting and I liked the premise of the villains (no spoilers here) and the way it set up the next book in the series – although it never ends well when decisions are being made for people who aren’t in the room where it happens!
🧙🏻🧙🏿♀️🧙🏾Top Five Witchy Movies (as picked by me!) As Mariah and Baden love watching films – here’s a few they could get some info from. 🧙🏼🧙🏻♀️🧙🏾
🧙🏻♀️Practical Magic – I yield to no one in my love of this gem, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters, who are also witches. I’ve loved this film since I was about 13. The Owens women are cursed, any man that loves them will die. It’s sad and romantic and creepy and amazing. I love their aunts, and the Midnight Margarita party. But also their bond, which saves them. Bonus – it’s based on a book of the same title and the sequel/prequel was published last year.
🧙🏼Hocus Pocus – more sister witches, more curses, more mayhem in this Disney classic. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are the Sandersons, brought back to life by Max entirely by accident in Salem. This is a Halloween must watch.
🧙🏾The Witches – based on Roald Dahl’s creepy book, the original 1990 film still gives me the willies. Creepy and sinister, Angelica Houston (still one of the most gorgeous women ever) becomes utterly terrifying. I don’t want to be turned into a mouse!
🧙🏿♀️The Craft – sometimes your witchy sisters are your found family, like in this teen classic (look, I grew up in the 90s, these are pretty much all 90s films and stone cold classics as far as I’m concerned!) has four teenage girls harnessing their powers to get some revenge. We are the weirdos mister!
🧙🏻Kiki’s Delivery Service – I had to include this cute as a button Studio Ghibli delight. Witch Kiki sets off on her adventures with talking cat Jiji (I love him so much) and opens a delivery business, on her broom. This is an adorable and lovely film that I’m always recommending.
Tell me your fave witchy films or books in the comments please!!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
If you’re reading this: HELP! I’ve been kidnapped. Me and my big sister stayed together after our parents died. We weren’t bothering anybody. But some mean government agents came anyway, and split us up. Now I’m a prisoner on this space ship. The agents won’t even say where we’re going. I hate them. And things have started to get a bit weird. Nullspace is supposed to be empty, but when I look out of the skywindows I can see … something. Out there. And I think it wants to get in here. With us. My name is Clarissa. I am ten years old. And they will all be sorry when my big sister comes to rescue me. Buy a copy
Karl Drinkwater writes thrilling SF, suspenseful horror, and contemporary literary fiction. Whichever you pick you’ll find interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds. Karl has lived in many places but now calls Scotland his home. He’s an ex-librarian with degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science. He also studied astrophysics for a year at university, surprising himself by winning a prize for “Outstanding Performance”. When he isn’t writing he loves guitars, exercise, computer and board games, nature, and vegan cake. Not necessarily in that order.
My thoughts: this is another short story set in the world of the Lost Solace books, which start with Opal looking for her missing sister – Clarissa. In this brief glimpse of the past, narrated by 10 year old Clarissa herself, we see what happened, what sets Opal on her quest. Clarissa has been taken by two agents, she thinks in order to force her to go to school, but they seem to have a different agenda. On the ship, Solace, they encounter something strange, something they’re afraid of. But Clarissa isn’t. It’s a really interesting bit of back story filled in, and suggests the beginning of Clarissa’s own story is even more interesting than Opal’s. Hope there’s more to come!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Marcia Bailey has it all: a passionate marriage to a rich and handsome man who is utterly devoted to her; fame and success as London’s premier matchmaker; a beautiful home in a posh neighbourhood, and fabulous holidays in exotic places.
But her perfect life turns into a nightmare overnight when a mysterious caller suddenly threatens to reveal secrets from her past she thought she had left behind forever. Who is he and what does he really want? He says he wants three million pounds to keep quiet, and she’s willing to pay. After all, she has already sacrificed so much, and perfect lives don’t come cheap.
But Marcia has a hunch her caller wants more than money from her. He wants to hurt and humiliate her. But why?
As police investigate a brutal murder in a wealthy London neighborhood, they untangle a web of lies, violence, sex and jealousy surrounding Marcia Bailey and the group of wealthy and powerful men who have secrets of their own to keep.
The Matchmaker is filled with unexpected twists and turns — and characters that will haunt you long after you’ve read the last page.
Hélene Fermont’s a practising psychologist with vast experience of people from all walks of life and background. Her Character Driven Psychological Thrillers are completely fictitious with much emphasis on their journey and interaction, intriguing traits and storylines.
After many years in London, Hélene divides her time between London and her home town, Malmö. Her beloved, beautiful cat, Teddy, is her writing buddy.
My thoughts: this was a twisted tale of love and revenge. Marcia may appear to have it all, but her past is a sad and lonely one. It’s only after her brutal murder that the secrets start to come out as ex-lovers, her sister, her daughter and more are interviewed by the police as they try to find out who killed her.
The book bounces between the different characters as they react to the killing and await a visit from the police, and you see that behind the huge houses and bank balances, many people’s lives are not simple at all. Marcus is having money problems, Julian’s still in love with the one woman he can’t have, Rachel has just found out who her birth mother was. The secrets and lies keep coming.
Slowly the detectives unravel everyone’s connections and after a savage assault, get the answers they were looking for. A slow burner of a crime thriller but interesting and involving.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Greed and ambition threaten to tear the north apart. War rages between the two kingdoms of Northumbria. Kin is pitted against kin and friend becomes foe as ambitious kings vie for supremacy. When Beobrand travels south into East Angeln to rescue a friend, he unwittingly tilts the balance of power in the north, setting in motion events that will lead to a climactic confrontation between Oswiu of Bernicia and Oswine of Deira. While the lord of Ubbanford is entangled in the clash of kings, his most trusted warrior, Cynan, finds himself on his own quest, called to the aid of someone he thought never to see again. Riding into the mountainous region of Rheged, Cynan faces implacable enemies who would do anything to further their own ends. Forced to confront their pasts, and with death and betrayal at every turn, both Beobrand and Cynan have their loyalties tested to breaking point. Who will survive the battle for a united Northumbria, and who will pay the ultimate price for lord and land? Amazon UK
Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.
My thoughts: you wouldn’t think I’d enjoy this sort of historical fiction what with all the fighting and violence. But when it’s as well written and researched as this is, it’s hard not to like it. I feel like writers who do really know their subject matter go a long way to fill in the blanks, as it were. I know so little about this time in our history – and that’s a shame.
The characters do a lot of travelling across the country and it’s interesting to see how the Christians and Norse religion exist alongside each other, there’s no real hostility, although Beobrand is reluctant to engage too much with the Christ followers.
The novel hinges on a crucial conflict that will settle the ruling of Northumbria – and do terrible damage to the fragile peace between people. The men are not lords or kings but they bear the brunt of this battle for land and power. Beobrand might be a warrior but he cares for his people and the men under his command – he doesn’t take any losses easily. All of the political machinations are fascinating – history at school pretty much goes Romans to Norman invasion as though all these kings and their conflicts didn’t happen so I enjoyed the feeling of learning a bit more but in a more informal way. I think I need to brush up on my geography though!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Previously published as Imperfect Women in hardback.
FRIENDS TELL EACH OTHER EVERYTHING. DON’T THEY?
Everyone wants perfection. But there is no such thing.
Nancy has the perfect life. She is bright, beautiful and rich with an adoring husband and daughter.
At least that’s what it seems on the outside to her two best friends.
But then Nancy is murdered.
And as the lies start to unravel, they realise they never knew their perfect friend at all.
She clearly had as many secrets as they do…
My thoughts: how well do we really know our friends? That’s the question Ellie and Mary find themselves asking after Nancy is murdered and they learn she was having an affair. In the wake of her death revelations surface and the pair soon realise they knew nothing about their best friend.
This was an interesting book – I liked the way it was sectioned with different narrative viewpoints, starting with the present, then switching to Nancy in the lead up to her death, filling in the blanks as to who she was sleeping with and what was going on. I felt for her in a way, although I don’t think cheating is OK, she seemed to have some other issues that never got properly addressed and I don’t think her husband was that supportive.
But it’s Mary I rooted for in the end, her life just seemed to have gone to shit. Stuck with a miserable husband, no life really and the children all growing up and pulling away from her. Her secrets and inner life that her friends never saw as she sought to make the best of it, the fact her husband basically manipulated her into being dependent on him. Thankfully she’s smart and resourceful. The ending was pretty satisfying.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.
Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives – caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.
But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.
Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.
Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do.
My thoughts: this book was lovely and sad and sweet and made me cry. I loved Anna and just want to give her a hug. Her childhood was heartbreaking and she’s had to be strong and self-reliant. But you need friends, and found family, and a home with your own bookshelves and a pet and places for all your things. I could never live like Anna does, travelling light.
I loved this book so much, it has so much heart, so much tender, bittersweet pain in it and I really think so many people are going to get such a treat when they read it. Just have the tissues on standby.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
This grave can never be opened. The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery.
This murder can never be forgotten. Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. One thing’s for certain: it might be the latest killing, but it won’t be the last…
This killer can never be caught. As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Now Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues – to solve a case that could cost them far more than just their lives…
My thoughts: this was a really enjoyable, clever police procedural taking in police corruption and a centuries’ old family feud – the reasons for which have been lost to time. Max Craigie is a man on a mission – to stop more innocent lives being lost and to root out the corruption and criminals at the heart of Police Scotland.
Despite being put on sick leave, he keeps working the case, convinced a supposed accident is a cover up for murder and that the Hardie family of gangsters have their fingers deep within the agency that’s supposed to be catching them in their crimes. He’ll need all the help he can get from his DC, Janie Calder and some old friends down south. Gripping, fast paced and very clever, this is the first in what looks to be an excellent new series.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used.
In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
But time is running out. Deep within the southern reaches of the empire and ancient god-like race has begun to stir.
What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever. If they can survive.
Brian Staveley is an American fantasy writer. He has written an epic fantasy trilogy, The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne, as well as a prequel novel, Skullsworn, in addition to short fiction.
My thoughts:
This is not a small book by any means and it is epic in scale. Taking several disparate characters and slowly bringing their plots together, from priests turned pit fighters, a monk who used to be a thief, and a hero who just wants to be left alone to wallow in her guilt. There’s an army coming for the crumbling Annur empire, for the city state of Dombang, for everyone, only no one is entirely sure what this army looks like, where it will come from or when. But there’s likely to be monsters.
I liked Ruc and Bien, priests of the goddess of love, Eira, captured after their temple is destroyed, dragged off to inevitable death. But they’re both fighters in their own ways, resilient and brave. Ruc has already survived a childhood raised by feral gods, out in the Delta, he is determined that he won’t die in the city’s annual blood fest.
I also liked Gwenna, I totally understood her guilt and anger and frustration. The Emperor sends her off to the end of the world as a punishment, and not only does she somehow manage to find the nests of the kettral (huge hawks that were trained to fly soldiers into battle) that might just save the empire, but she ends up doing so much more. When she really doesn’t want to.
Each story unfolds slowly, which there’s plenty of room to do in almost 800 pages, but you need the detail, to really get to know the characters and root for them as they struggle against seemingly impossible odds and put their all into staying alive and seeing things through.
*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 