Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Small Sacrifices – L.E. Luttrell*

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Be careful what you wish for.

She wanted to be famous. But not like this.

Ellen Gibson always dreamed of being a star. At a young age those dreams were shattered.

Discovering she holds the winning ticket in a 55-million Powerball jackpot, Ellen sees it as her
opportunity to be in the limelight. But at what cost?

Detective India Hargreaves and her small team are called in to investigate the disappearance of five-year-old Joshua Gibson, but the investigation is taken over by the big guns from Police Headquarters when it turns out to be a kidnapping.

When the media and the lead investigator suspect Ellen of being behind the kidnapping, her fame
disintegrates into a nightmare and she seems powerless to stop events spiralling out of control …

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About the Author

L.E. Luttrell was born in Sydney, Australia and spent the first 21 years of her life there before moving
to the UK.

After working in publishing for a few years she trained as a teacher and from the 90s spent many years working in secondary education, although she’s had numerous other part time jobs. A frustrated architect, L.E. Luttrell has spent much of her adult life moving house and renovating properties. Although she has written many more ‘books’, Small Sacrifices, is only the third of her books to be published. More will follow.

She currently lives in Liverpool, Merseyside – although if it hadn’t been for Covid 19 she would have
been with family in Brisbane, Queensland.

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My thoughts:

This is a shocking and gripping thriller set in Australia where one family’s immense good luck leads to tragedy and heartbreak.

Winning the lottery changes lives, but in this case for the worst as five year old Josh is kidnapped from the back garden and held for ransom.

DI India Hargreaves is determined to get him back safely but circumstances aren’t always in her control and what really happened won’t come out for years.

I couldn’t put this down, it was so compellingly written, I wanted the same answers as India, and it isn’t until the very end that this terrible tale is unravelled.


*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: Queen of Volts – Amanda Foody*

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Return to the City of Sin, where the final game is about to begin… and winning will demand the ultimate sacrifice.

Only days after a corrupt election and brutal street war, one last bloodthirsty game has begun. The players? The twenty-two most powerful, notorious people in New Reynes.

After realizing they have no choice but to play, Enne Scordata and Levi Glaisyer are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But while Levi offers false smiles and an even falser peace to the city’s politicians, Enne must face a world where her true Mizer identity has been revealed… and any misstep could turn deadly.

Meanwhile, a far more dangerous opponent has appeared on the board, one plucked right from the most gruesome legends of New Reynes. As the game takes its final, vicious turn, Levi and Enne must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Because in a game for survival, there are only losers…

And monsters.

My thoughts:

I had to go back and read the first two books before I read this because it has been a while and I couldn’t remember who all the players were. I’m glad I did as it reminded me what a great story this trilogy weaves.

Set in a Las Vegas/New York/New Orleans mash up city (New Raynes) replete with gangsters, gamblers, ruthless street gangs and eerie buildings, there are mysteries, conspiracies and deadly secrets around every corner and someone invariably wants you dead.

Enne and Levi have been through a lot and the newest deadly game they’ve been thrust into might just be the one that finishes them off.

With high speed cars, undrinkable cocktails, sky high heels, and death stalking their every move, the stakes have never been higher and even Levi can’t cheat his way out of this one.

Tremendous fun, fast paced, clever, funny and very enjoyable.

*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: Dead Moon – Keith Crawford*

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Humanity will be extinguished in less than seven days.

Wing Commander Jude Styles is a Starfighter Pilot trying to get pregnant before the world ends. Her wingman, Hamid Ashkami, just wants to block the spam messages he is receiving from someone claiming to be his dead ex-husband.

Instead, they are locked in a media tour, shown off as the heroes that stopped the alien invasion by destroying the massive mothership known as the “Dead Moon”, persuading the masses that all will be fine if they keep calm and carry on.

Trapped telling the same lies, driven over the edge by post-traumatic stress and the constant flow of alcohol, it is only a matter of time before Jude and Hamid break down – and the fragments of the Dead Moon have already begun to fall from the sky.

Dr Keith Crawford is a retired naval officer, disabled veteran and qualified barrister with a PhD in Law and Economics. After years of crazy adventures, from speedboats and aircraft to theatre and lecturing at Sciences Po, my French wife and I decided it was time to properly settle in Paris and have babies. Being the good feminist I try to be, I quit my job to look after the kids, support my wife’s career and write books. Each time I get offered a job my wife says “stop looking at jobs and get back to writing books.” Which shows, with marriage as with everything else, it is better to be lucky than good!

Dead Moon is my second novel. The first, Vile, a science-fantasy about toxic-patriarchy, the evils of aristocracy and swordfights, is available on Amazon.

After years of crazy adventures, from speedboats and aircraft to theatre and lecturing at Sciences Po, my French wife and I decided it was time to properly settle in Paris and have babies. Being the good feminist I try to be, I quit my job to look after the kids, support my wife’s career and write books. Each time I get offered a job my wife says “stop looking at jobs and get back to writing books.” Which shows, with marriage as with everything else, it is better to be lucky than good!

Dead Moon is my second novel. The first, Vile, a science-fantasy about toxic-patriarchy, the evils of aristocracy and swordfights, is available on Amazon.

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My thoughts:

This was completely bonkers, but in the very best way. Hamid and Jude ricochet around the country trying to solve various mysteries, being pursued by different dangerous people and slowly utterly destroying the luxury vehicle they’ve accidentally stolen, all before the world ends on Monday.

Both of them are dealing with the aftermath of the space battle that killed the rest of their squad and left them being hailed as heroes, while feeling anything but.

Their Survivors Guilt and PTSD lead them to do some very questionable things, including head off on their crazy adventure, technically going AWOL from their TV appearances reassuring the public that all is well.

The plot races along with the protagonists as they flee Manchester via Yorkshire, Milton Keynes and London on their way to Bexhill in Kent to find the person sending Hamid messages claiming to be from his dead husband.

Along the way they discuss gender, sexuality and how to get Jude pregnant, they team up with some scientists attempting to get humanity off the planet, engage in several gunfights and drive a tank.

It’s all completely crazy, and trememdously enjoyable and great fun.


*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

Bookstagram Tour: Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble – edited by Paul Cookson, illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon*

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Today i’m over on Instagram sharing my thoughts on a new book, so head on over to follow the tour.Can you hear the distant dragon’s rumble of thunder? And smell the sweet swampy aroma of the ogre? Can you taste the tangy tarantula tarts? And see the girl who’s really a wizard? From magic carpets and wands to unicorns, potions, creams and lotions, Paul Cookson’s brewing a spell of fantastically magic poems.
On this tattered magic carpet You can choose your destination For nothing’s quite as magical as your imagination. Beautifully illustrated, this enchanting anthology brings together work from a range of classic, established and rising poets including Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Benjamin Zephaniah, John Agard, Valerie Bloom, Matt Goodfellow, Joshua Seigal and A.F. Harrold.Whether you’re in the mood for a haunting or a spell gone wrong, this collection of mesmerising poems will have you bewitched from beginning to end!

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Paul Cookson lives in Retford with his wife, two children, a dog and several ukuleles. He has worked as a poet since 1989 and has visited thousands of schools and performed to hundreds of thousands of pupils and staff. Paul is the official Poet in Residence for the National Football Museum, the Poetry Ambassador for United Learning and Poet Laureate for Slade. He worked as the Poet for Everton Collection at Liverpool Library, was Poet in Residence for Literacy Times Plus and, as part of the National Year of Reading, was nominated a National Reading Hero and received his award at 10 Downing Street.

Paul has 60 titles to his name and poems that appear in over 200 other books. His work has taken him all over the world from Argentina, Uganda and Malaysia to France, Germany and Switzerland.
Paul is the official Poet in Residence for the National Football Museum, the Poetry Ambassador for United Learning and Poet Laureate for Slade. He worked as the Poet for Everton Collection at Liverpool Library, was Poet in Residence for Literacy Times Plus and, as part of the National Year of Reading, was nominated a National Reading Hero and received his award at 10 Downing Street.Paul has 60 titles to his name and poems that appear in over 200 other books. His work has taken him all over the world from Argentina, Uganda and Malaysia to France, Germany and Switzerland.My thoughts:This is a really fun collection of poems old and new, from Shakespeare’s weird sisters in Macbeth, to spells to make your teacher turn purple, in praise of unicorns and make your sister combust!Poetry is tremendous fun and should ideally be read aloud so you can hear the rhythm and flow of the words.There’s also poems for every reader, and while this collection is aimed at younger readers, with its fun illustrations, it can certainly be enjoyed by anyone.*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: Vultures – Luke Tarzian*

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An enemy slain is not a conflict won…

After decades of war the demon Te Mirkvahíl is dead. But its progeny endure, spilling from the Heart of Mirkúr, sowing death across the land of Ariath. If the people are to finally know peace, the Heart must be destroyed. Theailys An believes he can do just that with The Keepers’ Wrath, an infamous power focus wrought in Ariath’s yesteryears–but the weapon first must be reforged.

War spares no one…

Serece never intended to get involved in Ariath’s war. But history and demons have a way of pulling strings. When she learns Theailys An, a man whom she abhors, bears striking similarity to the first creator of The Keepers’ Wrath, Serece departs her mountain world for Ariath to ascertain the truth.

From patience, hope…

For millennia Behtréal has walked the world alone. Rewriting history to resurrect his people is easier said than done. But Ariath holds the key–soon The Keepers’ Wrath will be remade.

Truth from madness…

As paths converge and a shadow falls across Ariath, one thing becomes increasingly and horrifyingly clear–these events have played out many times before.

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My thoughts:

There is a lot happening in Vultures and it took me a little while to work out all the plotlines and players, but I could see how it all starts to come together and things fell into place as it went along.

The various characters all have things they want and goals they’re working for, often unknowingly against each other, there’s strange dreams, alliances that perhaps are terrible ideas and monsters lurking round assorted corners.

There’s a strong sense that all of this has happened before and that not everyone has all the details. Some of the characters are unwitting pawns in a conflict that started a long time ago.

I imagine that the story will flesh out more in books two and three, as the murky plot underpinning the events starts to come further into the light.

*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 Choice – Alex Lake*

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A kidnap…

Matt Westbrook only turned his back for a moment. But when he looks around, his car – with his three young children inside – has vanished.

A ransom…

Panicked, Matt assumes a car thief has got more than he bargained for, but then he starts to receive text messages: This is a kidnap. If you want to see your children again, you will exchange them for your wife.

A choice…

Matt and his wife Annabelle are horrified. They can’t involve the police, or their children will be killed. Which means they have to choose: Annabelle, or their children. Either option is unthinkable. But one is inevitable. And they have only hours to make their decision…

My thoughts:

This was an ingenious take on the kidnap plot, a mother must exchange herself for her children or risk losing them.

As the tension builds, the plot flashes back over Matt and Annabelle’s relationship, from meeting at uni, their wedding and the birth of their first child. Cleverly suggesting other people who might be behind the terrible scheme to take Annabelle away from her family.

When the kidnapper is revealed and the delusional reasonings behind it, I genuinely was stunned. Talk about completely twisted.

Sidenote: I also really liked the way the author handled the covid-19 situation, setting the story in early March when not a lot was known by the public and before lockdown. It added some realism but without turning the novel into a coronavirus focused one or pretending it wasn’t happening, I thought it was very nicely done.

*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

Bookstagram Tour: Cane Warriors – Alex Wheatle*

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Today I’m over on Instagram sharing my thoughts on a new book, so head over there and follow the tour!

Nobody free till everybody free.

Moa is fourteen. The only life he has ever known is toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation for endless hot days, fearing the vicious whips of the overseers. Then one night he learns of an uprising, led by the charismatic Tacky. Moa is to be a cane warrior, and fight for the freedom of all the enslaved people in the nearby plantations. But before they can escape, Moa and his friend Keverton must face their first great task: to kill their overseer, Misser Donaldson. Time is ticking, and the day of the uprising approaches . . .

Irresistible, gripping and unforgettable, Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky’s War in Jamaica, 1760.

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Alex Wheatle is the author of several acclaimed novels, many of them inspired by experiences from his childhood. He was born in Brixton to Jamaican parents, and spent most of his childhood in a Surrey children’s home. Following a short stint in prison following the Brixton uprising of 1981, he wrote poems and lyrics and became known as the Brixtonbard. Alex has been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, and was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.

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My thoughts:

This slim volume contains a powerful and moving story, based on real historical events and people.

Despite a lot of my school friends and classmates having Jamaican parents and grandparents, the history of the island, and of the Caribbean in general, don’t really appear on the curriculum – apart from briefly being mentioned in the British Empire bit sometimes.

This is a shame because it means that children are being denied their own history, and the rest of the class an understanding of the trauma handed down from slavery’s legacy.

It’s been left to talented writers, like Alex Wheatle, to correct this and fill in the gaps in our history. This book should be on all schools’ reading lists, packing a punch that will make you angry and sad, at the cruelty and horror inflicted on millions of people.


*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 Stolen Sisters – Louise Jensen*

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Sisterhood binds them. Trauma defines them. Will secrets tear them apart?

Leah’s perfect marriage isn’t what it seems but the biggest lie of all is that she’s learned to live with what happened all those years ago. Marie drinks a bit too much to help her forget. And Carly has never forgiven herself for not keeping them safe.

Twenty years ago The Sinclair Sisters were taken. But what came after their return was far worse. Can a family ever recover, especially when not everyone is telling the truth…?

My thoughts:

I thought this was really interesting, focusing not on the investigation into the missing sisters but on their survival and lives twenty years on.

Leah has crippling OCD, anxiety and other mental health issues, Marie has a drinking problem and a habit of disappearing, Carly can barely leave the house and can’t trust anyone.

As the build up to the anniversary counts down more details start to come to life around the kidnapping and why the three women are so damaged by it.

The ending was absolutely shocking, as the sisters return to abandoned army base where they were held, and it all comes out.

*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 If? – Shari Low*

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The book that started it all! A classic retro romcom from #1 bestselling author Shari Low.

1999.

Carly Cooper is 30, single, and after coming close to saying ‘I Do’ to six different men, she’s wondering if she accidentally said ‘goodbye’ to Mr Right.

But there is a problem.

Her ex-boyfriends are scattered all over the world and Carly lives in 1999; an era before Facebook,
Google, smartphones, 4G and Broadband, when it was impossible to track people down with a few clicks of a mouse.

On a mission to discover if she walked away from her ‘happy ever after’, Carly quits her job, her flat, her whole life and sets off on a quest to track down all the men she has ever loved.
Her Mr Right is out there, but can she find him?
And what if he’s moved on from the ex-girlfriend who said goodbye?

A wonderful classic 20th anniversary re-release.

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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 a really fun read, following Carly as she travels around the world looking for her exes to check they weren’t The One.

With her loyal team of girlfriends, some creaking credit cards and great brothers in tow, she criss crosses the oceans from New York to Singapore, Hong Kong to Amsterdam looking for the men she loved and left. Finding them teaches her things about herself, and finding some really great new friends along the way.

This book might be twenty odd years old but it still feels fresh and relatable even when just hopping on a plane is so far from reality right now.

*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

Bookstagram Tour: A Clock of Stars; The Shadow Moth – Francesca Gibbons, illustrated by Chris Riddell*

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Today I’m over on Instagram sharing my thoughts on a new book, come and follow the tour!

With all the magic of Narnia and the humour of Mary Poppins, this is a future middle grade fantasy classic – and the beginning of an unforgettable journey…

Imogen should be nice to her little sister Marie. She should be nice to her mum’s boyfriend too. And she certainly shouldn’t follow a strange silver moth through a door in a tree.
But then… who does what they’re told?

Followed by Marie, Imogen finds herself falling into a magical kingdom where the two sisters are swept up in a thrilling race against time – helped by the spoiled prince of the kingdom, a dancing bear, a very grumpy hunter… and even the stars above them.

Goodreads

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FRANCESCA GIBBONS worked as a copywriter at a marketing agency before leaving to focus on her career as a children’s author. The Shadow Moth is her debut novel. It was inspired by the gardens she visited as a child, and her love of folklore and monsters. It is the first book in the Clock of Stars trilogy.

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My thoughts:

This was a tremendously fun read, with excellent illustrations from the legendary Chris Riddell.

First in a new trilogy, this felt like the work of an accomplished writer, not a debut author, weaving elements of Narnia, folklore and fantasy together in a new and fun way.

While I am several decades older than the intended audience I can see this being a winner with readers of all ages, the three protagonists are engaging and the relationship between sisters Imogen and Marie reminded me of that between my own younger sister and me (little sisters are just so annoying!)

A fantastic new writer has entered the shelves of great fantasy writing and I can’t wait to see what book two brings.

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