Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Close Your Eyes – Rachel Abbott*

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Don’t let him under your skin. He’ll destroy you.

Don’t fight him. He’ll win.
Run. Never let him find you.

I thought I was safe here, but I’m not. I’ve stayed too long.
Now Genevieve is dead, and the police are on their way. It’s time for me to go. I must stick to the plan – the one I made the day I arrived in this city. My bag is packed. It always is. I will destroy every shred of evidence of my existence. The police must never find me. If they do, so will he.
I made a mistake, and someone had to die. But I’m the one who has truly lost her life. I need to make a choice. If I keep running, I’ll never stop.
If I go back, he will make me suffer.
How many lives can one person ruin?

A Tom Douglas thrillerRachel Abbott is a British author of psychological thrillers. As a self-published author, her first nine novels (and one novella) in the DCI Tom Douglas series have combined to sell over four million copies and have all been bestsellers on Amazon’s Kindle store. In 2015, she was named the number one bestselling self-
published author in the UK and the 14th bestselling author (both published and self-published) over the previous five years on Amazon’s Kindle in the UK.

In 2017, following a five-way auction, Abbott signed a two-book deal with Headline Publishing Group. The first book, And So It Begins, was published in 2018 and features Sergeant Stephanie King. The second book in this series, The Murder Game was released in April 2020. Her books have now been translated into over 20 languages.
Abbott’s writing career began in 2009, when she decided to write a book about a woman facing a situation
which gave her no option but to commit murder. In November 2011, Abbott published the story – Only the
Innocent – on Amazon. Abbott followed up Only the Innocent with The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come A Little Closer, The Shape of Lies and Right Behind You. All the thrillers in this series focus on the victims and perpetrators of the crimes, and the complex relationships that exist between protagonist and antagonist. This series features Detective Chief Inspector Tom Douglas.

Abbott grew up near Manchester, England. She worked as a systems analyst, and then founded an
interactive media company, developing software and websites for the education market. When she sold
the company in 2000, she moved to Italy where she restored a 15th-century Italian monastery. For a time she and her husband operated the property as a venue for weddings and holidays.

She now lives on the Channel Island of Alderney in a Victorian Fort where she spends her days writing in her office – a former gunpowder shelter.

For publicity enquiries please contact Rachel on rachel@rachel-abbott.com

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My thoughts:

This was a dark and gripping thriller that seemed to be about a murder but then swerved off into different territory with a cult that destroyed a family.

When her boss’ wife is found murdered, Nicola grabs her small son and goes on the run. Her past is full of dark secrets and they threaten to bubble to the surface. But the police are looking for her, if she’s innocent, why’s she running?

Truly clever story, utterly engaging and full of suspense as Nicola’s past is revealed to the reader, there were some jaw dropping moments and some that were truly grim.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Married at First Swipe – Claire Frost*

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Hannah lives life on the edge. Never one to pass up on a new adventure, she has truly been living her best life. But once the adrenaline wears off, she wishes she had someone to spend the quieter moments with too. Learning that her best friend’s online dating business has taken a hit, she comes up with an idea that just might solve both of their problems…

Jess has been with her husband for twenty years. They have a stable marriage, great kids and run their own businesses. But what looks like a perfect life from the outside has its own problems within, and with her business on the brink Jess can’t help but wonder where the spark has gone in her life, and whether settling down is all it’s cracked up to be.

When Hannah embarks upon her latest scheme: finding a man using Jess’s dating app and meeting him for the first time at the altar, both women start to realise the grass isn’t always greener. Can Hannah help her friend save her failing business or will Jess stop her from making what could be the biggest mistake of her life? In the modern tech-fuelled world of dating, is it possible to find true love?

Claire Frost grew up in Manchester, the middle of three sisters. She always wanted to do a job that involved writing, so after studying Classics at Bristol University she started working in magazines.

For the last 10 years she’s been at The Sun On Sunday’s Fabulous magazine, where she is Assistant Editor and also responsible for the title’s book reviews. She can mostly be found at her desk buried under a teetering TBR pile.

Her first book, Living My Best Life, was published in 2019.

My thoughts:

I’ve never used a dating app, I met my husband at work, but my cousin met her husband on one and now they’re having a baby, so it works for some.

However she didn’t go as far as Hannah and Jess do when they run a promotion for their app – Save the Date. Hannah agrees to marry the first person Jess matches her with.

But then she has to get to know her new husband, Toby, and find out whether they can actually be married, which is a lot harder than just having a wedding.

This was a fun read, I liked Hannah and Jess as characters a lot, they felt real and familiar. Hannah’s impulsiveness and Jess’ own struggles with her family, her relationship and her business were genuine and realistic.


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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Nosey Parker Mystery Series –

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Murder on the Menu

The first book in a NEW cosy mystery series!

Still spinning from the hustle and bustle of city life, Jodie ‘Nosey ’Parker is glad to be back in the Cornish village she calls home. Having quit the Met Police in search of something less dangerous, the change of pace means she can finally start her dream catering company and raise her daughter, Daisy, somewhere safer.

But there’s nothing like having your first job back at home to be catering an ex-boyfriend’s wedding to remind you of just how small your village is. And when the bride, Cheryl, vanishes Jodie is drawn into the investigation, realising that life in the countryside might not be as quaint as she
remembers…

With a missing bride on their hands, there is murder and mayhem around every corner but surely saving the day will be a piece of cake for this not-so-amateur sleuth?

The first book in the Murder on the Menu cosy mystery series. Can be read as a standalone. A humorous cosy mystery with a British female sleuth in a small village. Includes one of Jodie’s Tried and Tested Recipes! Written in British English. Mild profanity and peril.

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A Brush With Death

Jodie ‘Nosey ’Parker is back!
When a body turned up at her last catering gig it certainly put people off the hor d’oeuvres. So with a reputation to salvage, Jodie’s determined that her next job for the village’s festival will go without a hitch.

But when chaos breaks out, Jodie Parker somehow always finds herself in the picture.
The body of a writer from the festival is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, and the prime suspect is the guest of honour, the esteemed painter Duncan Stovall. With her background in the Met police, Jodie has got solving cases down to a fine art and she knows things are rarely as they seem.

Can she find the killer before the village faces another brush with death?

The second book in the Jodie ‘Nosey ’Parker cosy mystery series. Can be read as a standalone. A humorous cosy mystery with a British female sleuth in a small village. Includes one of Jodie’s Tried and Tested Recipes! Written in British English. Mild profanity and peril.

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. Her debut novel ‘Dead in Venice’ was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists.

After living in London, Hastings
and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters.

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My thoughts:

These were a really fun read, they might have been about murder but they’re fairly lighthearted about it and very entertaining. There’s also a lot of food in them, which as someone who seems to be perpetually hungry but not sure what I want to eat, I enjoy.

Jodie is an ex copper who’s moved back to Cornwall in search of peace and quiet but instead of a rural idyll, there’s murder and mayhem. Even charming places are full of unscrupulous people.

If you like your crime cosy, then grab a hot drink, a biscuit or two and hunker down with these and enjoy!

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

books, reviews

Book Review: Goodbye, Orchid – Carol Van Den Hende

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From 14th February the publisher is offering Goodbye, Orchid at a special price. So keep an eye out if you want to treat yourself.

GOODBYE, ORCHID is one of the most anticipated 2020 fall reads: Buzzfeed l Parade l Travel+Leisure and featured in Popsugar, Bookstr, Frolic, LA Times, Chicago Tribune and more.

Winner: 2020 American Fiction Award l Pinnacle Achievement Award l IAN Best First Novel 50-80K words l Royal Dragonfly.

“Page-turner” “Breath of awe” “Tugs on your soul”

What happens when an entrepreneur suffers an accident that changes him forever and he has to decide: to love his woman, will he need to leave her?

One July morning in Manhattan, handsome athlete and entrepreneur Phoenix Walker accompanies his love, half-Asian beauty Orchid Paige, to the airport. Neither believes today is goodbye.

But soon after Orchid leaves, disaster strikes.

Phoenix wakes in the hospital, broken, forever changed.

Now, he’s faced with the hardest decision of his life. Does he burden the woman whose traumatic childhood makes him feel protective of her? Or does true love mean having to say Goodbye, Orchid?

Rising from ashes is hard. Leaving the one you love is harder.

CAROL VAN DEN HENDE is an award-winning author who pens stories of resilience and hope. Her novel Goodbye, Orchid has been recognized as the 2020 American Fiction Award winner for urban fiction, and 2020 Pinnacle Achievement Award winner for multicultural fiction. Plus, it’s been named one of the most anticipated fall reads by Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure.

She’s also a speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband, fun-loving twins, and rescue cat, who prove that love really does conquer all.

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

My thoughts:

I was kindly sent a copy of this book to review by the author but all opinions remain my own.

This was an interesting read, especially for me.

About two years before we met, my now husband had an accident and broke his spinal column, leaving him a paraplegic, reliant on a wheelchair to get around. He doesn’t like people feeling sorry for him and his injury hasn’t stopped him living his life at all. He plays a full contact sport, works, drives, travels and got his Masters degree.

So seeing how much Phoenix struggles to come to terms with his injuries in Goodbye, Orchid, was different. Through my husband I’ve met lots of disabled people, mostly his teammates, and none of them are still wrestling with their disabilities, most of them have moved on from that point.

I can understand Phoenix’s reticence to involve Orchid in his life after the accident, it can be a lot and some people don’t handle it well. Your whole life shifts and not everyone can adjust to the new reality. But Phoenix was wrong – Orchid proves to be a stronger person than he gave her credit for. Yes she still carries the trauma of her parents’ death in a car crash, but she also has strong feelings for him and wants to be in his life.

We can’t read each others’ minds and Phoenix isn’t a great communicator – preferring to shut down. Once he realises he needs to be open, then he and Orchid can fall in love again.

A moving and engaging story about love, thinking you’re protecting someone and getting it wrong.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Crow Folk – Mark Stay*

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Faye Bright always felt a little bit different. And today she’s found out why. She’s just stumbled across her late mother’s diary which includes not only a spiffing recipe for jam roly-poly, but spells, incantations, runes and recitations… a witch’s notebook.

And Faye has inherited her mother’s abilities.

Just in time, too. The Crow Folk are coming. Led by the charismatic Pumpkinhead, their strange magic threatens Faye and the villagers. Armed with little more than her mum’s words, her trusty bicycle, the grudging help of two bickering old ladies, and some aggressive church bellringing, Faye will find herself on the front lines of a war nobody expected.

Mark Stay co-wrote the screenplay for Robot Overlords which became a movie with Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson, and premiered at the 58th London Film Festival. He is co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast and has worked in bookselling and publishing for over twenty-five years. He lives in Kent, England, with his family and a trio of retired chickens. He blogs and humblebrags over at markstaywrites.com.

My thoughts:

This was a great fun read, I really enjoyed it. Faye was a relatable protagonist, of course she wanted to know more about her mum, and I imagine it would get frustrating when everyone else doesn’t seem to be able to see the things you can.

Woodville is that very traditional English village, familiar from so many novels (I kept expecting Miss Marple to appear having dropped by from SOE – blatantly where she spent her war, after hearing about some strange things) and a certain Kinks’ song.

But where there are quaint villages, there are witches and magic and odd goings on. As English as tea and scones. And I love it.

I do now need more about Vera Fivetrees, she’s very intriguing.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Yorkshire Dipper – Maria Frankland*

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Read my reviews of The Last Cuckoo, The Man Behind Closed Doors and Left Hanging all by the same author.

Seven drownings. Three months. Who is to blame?

Lauren is fed up with covering local small-town news in Northern England. The bride-to-be and mother-of-one dreams of recognition and accolades as a national journalist.
Yet, the reporting opportunity that lands on her doorstep is one she would never have invited. When it is thrust on her,, she is duty bound, both professionally and personally to investigate.
Lauren is the voice for the women, whose lives have been cut short in the river Alder, and she will not stop until she finds the link that binds their deaths together and gets justice for them.
But she is a lone voice, overpowered by the police and other officials. Lauren has to make herself heard, even when this compromises her own safety. Her police sergeant fiancé begs her to step away and leave it to the police.
Seven drownings, she continues to argue, in three months, warrants blame. How can the deaths of these innocent women be deemed accidental?

Amazon

Maria Frankland’s life began at 40 when she escaped an unhappy marriage and began making a living from her own writing and becoming a teacher of creative writing.

The rich tapestry of life with all its turbulent times has enabled her to pour experience, angst and lessons learned into the writing of her novels and poetry.
She recognises that the darkest places can exist within family relationships and this is reflected in the domestic thrillers she writes.
She is a ‘born ‘n’ bred’ Yorkshirewoman, a mother of two and has recently found her own ‘happy ever after’ after marrying again.
Still in her forties, she is now going to dedicate the rest of her working life to writing books and inspiring other writers to also achieve their dreams too!

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My thoughts:

This was a really good crime thriller, with only determined journalist Lauren convinced that this many deaths in the same spot can’t possibly be accidents. The police don’t seem to be making any effort to investigate so she decides to draw attention to the fact and try to solve this herself.

But her fiancé, Mark, a police officer, wishes she wouldn’t make things worse with his grumpy boss DCI Ingham, it’s not helping his career and he’s getting sidelined in the case.

This was a cracking read, and the twists (no spoilers) were the kind that make you audibly gasp. You won’t see them coming.

I liked the juxtaposition of Mark and Lauren’s home life with the crimes they’re both investigating, from different angles. It just reminds you how banal crime actually is, unless it affects you directly, we’re so immune to it in a way. Another excellent book from the pen of Maria Frankland, who goes from strength to strength.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: What Now? – Shari Low*

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Read my review of What If?

The follow-up sequel to the bestselling ‘What If?’ from Shari Low
Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right.

Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong.
As the years have passed, lots of things have changed, leaving Carly asking ‘What Now?’

With a divorce and an empty nest on the horizon, Carly sets off once more to Los Angeles with her band of trusty girlfriends, to find the carefree, wild and adventurous Carly Cooper that she used to be.

On this latest quest, Carly discovers a few home truths and has to decide If her marriage is worth saving or is there a new happy-ever-after out there, just waiting for her…

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Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So.

She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts:

This was brilliant fun. Picking up twenty years after the end of What If? we join Carly Cooper as she has yet another crisis and starts to rethink her past once more.

I laughed so hard (mostly at the marvellous Aunt Val) that my husband asked if I was alright several times, and there were a few tears at one point too. Shari Low has magical powers and really pulls you into her characters lives.

It helps that the cast of characters are so brilliant, Carly has really got lucky with her amazing gang of besties. And reading it in lockdown when I haven’t seen any of my pals in about a year really got to me. I miss their faces.

If you need a great read that restores your faith in people a bit more, then you could do a lot worst than reading this and giving yourself a much needed boost.


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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Not Quite Out – Louise Williamson*

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William Anson is done with relationships, thanks. He’s starting the second year of his medicine degree single, focused, and ready to mingle with purely platonic intentions.

Meeting Daniel, a barely recovered drug addict ready to start living life on his own terms, might just change that.

There are two problems.

One: William isn’t out.

What’s the point in telling your friends you’re bisexual when you aren’t going to date anyone?

Two: Daniel’s abusive ex-boyfriend still roams the university campus, searching for cracks in Daniel’s recovery.

No matter how quickly William falls for Daniel, their friendship is too important to risk ruining over a crush.

William is fine with being just friends for the rest of forever.

Well, not quite.

Content warning – This book includes references to abortion, PTSD, drug addiction, abusive relationships, and self-harm.

My thoughts:

I really felt for Will, being 19 and at uni is tough enough without trying to come to terms with your sexuality and come out. I know, I’ve been there.

But I’m now in my 30s so a lot more time has passed, those late teens/early twenties are tough.

Plus Will’s new friend, Dan, has a lot going on too, an abusive hovering ex, a drug habit he’s trying to kick and no family to support him. So Will is trying to provide that support while wrestling with his feelings and worries.

The book is very thoughtful, like its protagonist, and his other friends, Peter, Cas and Lilley are also dealing with the things life likes to throw at you, and uni, so there’s a lot going on around Will.

A sweet, sensitive, heartfelt portrayal of working out who you are, what you want, and where you fit in to the world. Friendship, love, pain, heartbreak and joy are all in the mix.

Really worth reading and then pressing a copy into the hands of a young person you know who looks like they could use some solidarity.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Dream That Held Us – Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang*

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“The Dream That Held Us took me on an exquisite exploration if a love that crosses boundaries of time and culture.” Angela Barton author of Arlette’s Story, Magnolia House and You’ve Got My Number

“Deeply imbued with a certain wistfulness and haunting sense of loss brought out by the end of a glorious summer… Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang’s latest novel is a sensitive andskilful exploration of love, longing, and whether life sometimes relents to give us second chances.” Osama Siddique – author of Snuffing Out the Moon

“This book carries a universal message about love and finding your way in the world. I loved it.”
Angela Barton author of Arlette’s Story, Magnolia House and You’ve Got My Number

Another stunning Anglo-Indian love story from the author of The Last Vicereine, Penguin Random House 2017.

October 1985, Ash Misra leaves a blood-stained Delhi for Oxford University. Haunted by a terrible
secret, he just wants to forget. Music and fresh violence bring him to fellow student and amateur violinist, Isabella Angus, but duty and the burden of history keep them apart.

A quarter of a century later against the background of the global financial crisis, Sir Peter Roberts, former Master of Woodstock College, receives a letter from Ash for Isabella. They are no longer young but they had made a tryst with destiny; old terrors and suppressed desires return.

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Rhiannon Jenkins Tsang is a British author whose work focuses on cultural and historical fault lines
and has strong international themes.

Rhiannon was born and grew up in Yorkshire and has studied, lived and worked in Europe and Asia. She read Oriental Studies (Chinese) at Oxford University and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.

Rhiannon lives in a former farmhouse in rural England with her
family.

Novels
The Woman Who Lost China, Open Books 2013
The Last Vicereine, Penguin Random House 2017

Short Story Anthology

Hong Kong Noir, Akashic Books 2019

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My thoughts:

This was a beautiful, moving book about a love that spans decades, taking in marriages, divorce, children and heartbreak.

First love can be brutal and so it is for Isabella and Ash – he must return to India and an arranged marriage, devastating Isabella.

Twenty five years later Ash sends a letter via the former master of their college, asking Isabella to see him. Will their love be rekindled, despite her husband and children, despite their very different lives?

Beautifully written and tender, this was a truly touching and sweet read.


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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Art of Death – David Fennell*

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London’s latest art installation is a real killer . . .

An underground artist leaves three glass cabinets in Trafalgar Square that contain a gruesome installation: the corpses of three homeless men.
With the artist promising more to follow, newly-promoted Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, must race against time to follow what few clues have been left by a savvy killer.
As more bodies are exhibited at London landmarks and live streamed on social media, Archer and Quinn’s pursuit of the elusive killer becomes a desperate search.
But when Archer discovers that the killer might be closer than she originally thought – she realises that he has his sights set firmly on her . . .
He is creating a masterpiece. And she will be the star of his show.

My thoughts:

This was really good, dark and compelling. The weird “art” installations are a brutal and shocking concept, a killer keen to show off, preening at their own cleverness.

DI Grace Archer is an intriguing character, her back story is never fully revealed but it’s dark and tragic, and the marks of it linger in her panic attacks and claustrophobia. Her team is full of bitterness and secrets, which makes their working relationships awkward and tense, adding complications to their investigations.

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