Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Dangerous – Essie Fox

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Fiction can be fatal…

Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city. But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…

As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…

Rich in gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron’s life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design.

Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie’s Victorian gothic novel, The Fascination, debuted at number 10 on the Sunday Times bestseller list, and was widely acclaimed.

Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. She lives in Windsor.

My thoughts: Growing up in Harrow, I developed a soft spot for Lord George Gordon Byron – who spent some of his happiest years at the eponymous school up on the Hill. His daughter, Allegra is buried there and there is a memorial plaque to him on the lookout point. He would have been buried there too, except the vicar at the time refused.

Essie Fox’s book explores some of his time in exile in Venice. Allegra was sent by her mother (Claire Claremont, Mary Shelley’s step-sister) to live with him, his servants and his collection of cantankerous pets (monkeys do not belong in palazzos). 

Byron is weary, jaded and working on Don Juan, which will only add to Lady Caroline Lamb’s (another former mistress) assessment of his as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know”. 

Dr John Polidori, once Byron’s personal physician, has resurfaced, and a lot of people mistake him for the English poet, despite the lack of a limp (Byron’s club foot was pretty noticeable). His book The Vampyre, inspired by a scrap Byron wrote on the infamous Lake Geneva trip with the Shelleys, is also being touted as Byron’s. Which sends him into a fury. How can anyone compare the two?

Then a young woman is found murdered outside a salon Byron attended, there are claims that he is a vampire, that Polidori’s book is Byron’s autobiography in disguise. Especially after another young prostitute is killed, while Byron sleeps beside her, in a brothel.

Byron knows he is no killer, but someone is out to frame him. He is arrested, thrown in gaol, unable to prove his innocence. Thankfully his good friend Hobhouse has come to visit, and with Polidori’s help, he escapes and begins to investigate these claims against him. They seem to centre on two women – a Countess and a courtesan turned brothel keeper. With the help of those loyal to him, gondolier Tita, an orphan he has taken in, and even a former mistress, he resolves to expose his enemies, clear his name and rescue Allegra who has fallen into the clutches of his nemesis.

This is a very clever, very enjoyable book, making much of a short episode in Byron’s not very long, but very eventful life. It is only a few years before he will die in Greece, pursuing another adventure. He comes across much more sympathetically than he is often characterised. His biographers aren’t very fond of him, admittedly he was a terrible cad. But the Byron here is a loving father, a kind man, fond of children and animals, hopeless with women, loyal to his friends. It’s an interesting version of the infamous Lord. 

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

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Blog Tour: Maxwell’s Reality – M.J. Trow

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Meet Peter Maxwell: film buff, golden-hearted cynic, bow-tied eccentric teacher . . . and reluctant amateur sleuth.

A reality TV crew descends on Leighford High . . . and Head of Sixth Form Peter Maxwell braces for disaster — but not murder.
The cameras pry into every corner of the school, exposing secrets better left buried. But when a member of the TV crew is found stabbed to death in the headteacher’s office, it’s clear the
real drama has only just begun.

Then a second crew member is found sprawled in Maxwell’s office. Murdered with the same  knife.
As Maxwell unravels the truth he finds himself facing a chilling reality: the murderer is still  watching, still waiting, and ready to kill again.

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M J Trow (the ‘M’ as most people know by now stands for Meirion, a Welsh name few can manage, so he writes as M J, is known by all and sundry as Mei, rhyming with ‘my’) has been writing for many years, with his first book – The Adventures of Inspector Lestrade – being published in 1984 by Macmillan. More Lestrades followed and then some true crime and
somehow it all snowballed so now he has many historical biographies and three other crime series (Maxwell, Marlowe and Grand and Batchelor, the latter two written with his wife, writing as Maryanne Coleman, though her name is Carol, actually!) to his credit.

He claims to be retired, but that’s just from teaching. In fact he has never been busier and is a sought after ‘ghost’ these days as well as historian and novelist, with many different subjects’ stories having been told through him. He has recently started collaborating on fiction projects (with someone other than his wife, that is) and finds it a really exciting and pleasurable experience.To relax he … actually, that’s a bit tricky, as he doesn’t really ever relax.

He has been known to garden, he is a keen cook and artist and likes to travel. This is rather easier these days as he is a popular
speaker on cruise ships – in fact his profile picture was taken on a very gusty day in Cape Town, setting off on a long voyage home to Southampton through some of the scariest seas he and his wife have had the pleasure to meet! It really was the calm before the storm, despite being a
Force 9 just leaving the Bay.

My thoughts: I can’t imagine anything worse than a film crew following you about your day, especially in a school. Although I admit I have found the end results quite intriguing (the Educating… series was quite good).

But murder, that’s a whole different set of problems. And a member of the film crew murdered in the head teacher’s office, isn’t a great start to this filming malarkey. In fact, the police pull the plug, at least for a while, and the teachers heave a sigh of relief, getting dozens of teenagers to just learn something isn’t easy.

But Maxwell, head of Sixth Form, history teacher, married to a detective, doesn’t leave it there. He does a bit more digging, unearths a few other secrets (gambling ring in the building manager’s office for starters) and gets clonked over the head for his troubles.

Then another member of the film crew is killed, in his office, while he’s off sick. What on earth is going on? He’s pretty sure even the most insufferable student isn’t a killer, but is it someone on the crew or closer to home?

Funny, clever and full of twists, I really enjoyed this and would love to know more about the mysterious Mrs B, computer genius and school cleaner.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Hero Virus – Russell Dumper

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The Hero Virus tells the thrilling story of Chris Taylor, who is hanging on to life by a thread. Recently widowed, his only reason to carry on is his faithful Labrador, but even that doesn’t stop his willingness to gamble with death every day. When his companion suffers a violent demise, Taylor thinks he has nothing left to live for, until he discovers he has chanced upon a precious gift… when he gets very ill.

The sickness gives him powers and, fairly soon, the authorities are swooping on to the ever-increasing list of cases. The Hero Virus might be different to other illnesses, but it’s no less dangerous. The effect it has on the world, though, is wildly different to any other virus that has come before. The unique reaction of the human body to infection means that everyone wants it. And some will do anything to get it.

How do you stop a pandemic when there are people who will kill for the virus? How do you stop people getting infected when they’re willing to die for it? How do you stop the infected when they have abilities nobody has ever seen before?

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The Hero Virus is the second novel from Russell Dumper, after releasing Britannia Rises to widespread acclaim last year, winning him three categories in the 2024 Bookstagram Awards, for Debut Author, Thriller and Historical Fiction. He lives in the east of England with his family and still
has many more books in the pipeline. Next, he will be concentrating on The Britannia Series, more of which will be released in the near future.
Instagram handle – russ2000_uk

My thoughts: Chris has had a really terrible time, his wife and unborn baby were killed by a drunk driver, he’s struggling to find meaning in his life and then his beloved dog dies too. Falling ill is the last in a long line of bad things, and then he wakes up. Four days have passed and he’s bizarrely strong. Like super hero strong.

As more and more people become infected with this strange new virus – 50% develop powers, the other 50% tragically die, scientists are trying to solve it. A vaccine, a cure, anything, as it’s getting out of control. Some of the powers people develop are truly rubbish, others are extremely dangerous. And one man discovers he can absorb others’ new gifts. Could he be a cure? Or will he become a megalomaniac intent on world domination? Can Chris stop this from happening and will the scientists ever find a way to halt this virus and save lives? 

I liked Chris, he never loses his humanity, despite being patient zero and developing this new super strength. He just wants to live his life quietly and for as short a time as possible, considering his losses. Instead he’s being poked and prodded in the name of science, and then asked to basically save the world. Can a man be miserable in peace? 

The virus at first seems amazing, but people continue to be people, and are the worst. Trying to get infected in case you’re in the 50% who don’t die, and then your power is that you can make people piss themselves if you touch them? Sounds rubbish. (If you’ve seen the show Extraordinary you might see what I mean, some people’s powers are really crap).

And when they’re rounding up infected people and putting them into comas while the scientists try to unravel the virus? That’s not exactly better. I think I’d rather not bother.

This is an interesting exercise in what happens to people, some get greedy and one goes way, way too far, power corrupts and all that. But Chris remains a bastion of genuine niceness in all of this, yes being super strong is pretty cool, but it doesn’t make him an arrogant monster, and that’s really intriguing.

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

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Blog Tour: Death in an English Village – Fliss Chester

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When the family gardener is murdered near a site of legendary buried treasure, dog-lover and mystery-solver Cressida Fawcett is on the case!

1926, Sussex. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to return to her parents’ rambling mansion to introduce them to her pug Ruby’s puppies. But when the pups go running off with Cressida in hot pursuit, they lead her to a bubbling stream – Hell’s Ditch. And the body of Bob the gardener is floating there, his outstretched hand clutching a soggy cheese and pickle sandwich.

Everyone assumes Bob died of natural causes. But when Cressida finds a glittering gold coin grasped in his other fist, she realises this is part of the long-hidden Saxon hoard. Was Bob struck down by the gold’s ancient curse? As Cressida interviews the colourful members of the local historical society, she learns that Bob had been boasting of new-found wealth, much to the annoyance of his wife, and perhaps deadly jealousy of the other members…

Luckily for Cressida, eminent historian Sir James Colston, friend of the family, arrives at the mansion with tantalising information on the whereabouts of the rest of the Saxon gold. He promises to tell all, but the very next day he collapses into his morning porridge…

To Cressida’s horror, Marian – Bob’s widow and her parents’ cook – is accused of poisoning both the porridge and Bob’s sandwich and is carted off to jail. But Cressida is sure the answers are buried in the past. Just how far would a history boffin or a hard-up local go for an ancient pot of gold? And can Cressida dig up the truth before poison worms its way into her family’s kitchen again?

An absolutely addictive, warm and witty whodunnit that will keep you reading late into the night, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright.

Amazon

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

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My thoughts: Cressida is back, and my favourite detective pug, Ruby, has had six adorable puppies (chugs? Porgies?) who are causing havoc at Cressida’s parents’ country residence. They keep escaping and running wild, and then rounding them up, Cressida and her mother find the gardener, Bob, floating in the stream running through the estate. Sadly, he’s dead, and it’s not natural causes.

Cressida is on the case, and with Dotty and Alfred down for a visit, and keen to help out, she’s soon looking into Bob’s life, and his claims to have come into a tidy sum. His wife, Marian, the cook, doesn’t know anything about this. And then a house guest keels over at breakfast.

There’s a poisoner on the loose, and poor Marian is the chief suspect! But why would she kill her husband and her employer’s guest, historian Sir James? It doesn’t make any sense.

As Cressida and co investigate further, they find the motive might go a long way back to two pairs of lovebirds decades ago and a killer who hasn’t given up on true love.

Another clever whodunnit, with the delightful Cressida, Dotty and Alfred getting to grips with the case, and trying to wrangle some very wriggly puppies at the same time! Delightful.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Felix Grey & the Descendant – Mario Theodorou

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In this historical mystery, a string of abductions and rising tensions thrusts a young leader into a world of murky politics and dark secrets – written by award-winning BAFTA scriptwriter and film director, Mario Theodorou.


London, 1904.


Edward VII sits on the throne, the economy is faltering, and one of the youngest Prime Ministers in history has been thrust into office on the crest of a populist wave. Battling self-doubt and fierce opposition within the Commons, Felix Grey is plunged into a world of murky politics and hidden secrets when a lord is mysteriously abducted from a gentlemen’s club.


With tensions rising between the government and trade unions amidst a series of fatal factory disasters, Felix must quickly connect the dots between the missing politicians and the growing chaos in the country. A rapidly escalating chain of events is threatening to tear apart Parliament and Nation…


Can Felix crack the case and protect his country, or will he bear witness to a grim repetition of history?

About the Author

Mario Theodoru is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and author known for his diverse body of work across both comedy and drama. Selected for the BBC’s prestigious Drama Writer’s Programme, he was named one of the BBC’s 200 emerging talents on their Hotlist. His original commissions include projects for BBC Drama and Sky, and his radio drama The Cyprus Missing aired on BBC Radio 4 and BBC America. Mario’s short films Anonymous, Echo, and The Gifted Hypothesis have garnered numerous awards, selections and nominations at Oscar, BAFTA, and BIFA-qualifying film festivals. His accolades include Best Drama at Cannes Shorts, Best Narrative Short and Best Male Actor at FIFF, as well as a nomination for the Short Film Award at the Oscar-qualifying Austin Film Festival and selection for the Oscar-qualifying Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival. Mario attended Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan and taught soccer for the MLS in Arizona and Los Angeles before returning to London. He is also a BAFTA member and serves on the board of the Kingston International Film Festival.

My thoughts: Felix Grey is the somewhat beleaguered Prime Minister during Edward VII’s reign. The country is in turmoil, strikes threaten to bring the mines, factories and mills to a standstill, the Opposition are demanding an election, and two members of the Lords have been kidnapped, a card with a strange symbol printed on it the only clue.

Somehow Felix is able to conduct his own investigation despite being one of the most recognisable faces around, and the police guarding Downing Street are completely oblivious. I cannot imagine any present day PM a) caring that much and b) risking themselves in such a way. He’s a very noble and brave, if a little stupid, man. 

He does have allies in the form of his friend Amelia, an Oxford professor originally from Texas, and Alfred, a young man he meets during his investigation and gives refuge to. He should however trust the police a bit more – they do know what they’re doing it turns out.

The case has links to a dark, and never forgotten, moment in British history, but is there more to it. Who is the person pulling the strings?

Clever, entertaining and well researched, I look forward to Felix and his friends carrying out more heroic investigations to protect the country and try to get it on an even keel once more.

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

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Blogathon: Crucified – Lynda La Plante

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The fifth book in Lynda’s brilliant Detective Jack Warr crime series.

Jack, after taking paternity leave for the birth of his son, is forced to take even more time due to emotional fatigue and depression. Jack’s wife Maggie is more than aware of Jack’s issues, attempting to persuade him to accept private medical help as he has refused any form of counselling given to officers in the Met. Jack is suffering a nightmare consuming rage. After having to deal with the lengthy horrific murder trial detailing the tragic victims of the serial killer Rodney Middleton, he is haunted by the unidentified remains of more of the killers victims.

Jack finds solace in renewing a dangerous relationship with the artist Adam Bolder. They meet in Portobello market, in a shop selling frames. The enigmatic Adam, has taken up working on fake art in an old disused school out building. The fascination of watching Adam work, the brilliance of his artistic work and the obvious criminal activity in producing these paintings enthrals Jack.

Maggie becomes equally interested in the world of fake art. Jack collecting books and watching art programs, his renewed friendship encourages him to return to work. As he settles back into the old regime at the station, a new female DCI is a force to be reckoned with. One weekend visiting Portobella market again, going to purchase some photo frames for pictures of his new son, the street is cordoned off by police crime scene officers. Ambulances and patrol cars blocking all traffic. A body has been found in the framer’s shop. The naked murder victim has had his features destroyed, and horrifically nailed to a giant cross.

The murder is not in Jack’s jurisdiction, so another team have been allocated in to lead the enquiry and attempt to identify the victim. But Jack is too involved to steer clear – is he detective or witness?

My thoughts: Jack is struggling with the aftermath of his last horrific case, even with the killer behind bars, there are still unidentified victims whose families deserve answers.

He’s also struggling with a sleep disorder that makes him cranky when awake and violent when asleep. He’s been signed off work and Maggie is redesigning their house now they have two children, to get more space. Which is driving him crazy. Both of them need to go back to work!

When he does it’s to a new boss and new cases, firstly a domestic that his new DI is a bit too invested in. But a chance encounter with a suspect from an old case, has Jack headed down a rabbit hole into the world of art forgery and the millions made each year by a network of sellers, dealers and those linking them to clients.

Getting involved in a brutal murder in a frame shop in Portobello Road draws unwanted attention to Jack, and has higher ups suspicious of him and his behaviour, especially at an art gallery. He’s now on their radar. Can he toe the line and do his job?

I really felt for Maggie, Jack pushes her patience to the limit, he’s combative and secretive, when she tries to get him to open up, he pulls away. She just wants him to be well and happy, to spend time with his family and stop keeping so many secrets.

This is probably the book that explores Jack’s family and his past the most, in that he starts remembering before he was adopted a little, and being at home he’s spending time with his children and with Maggie and Penny. It’s also where he makes a decision about his career that will change everything.

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

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Blog Tour: The Cure – Eve Smith

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LIVING FOREVER CAN BE LETHAL…

Ruth is a law-abiding elder, working out her national service, but she has secrets. Her tireless research into the disease that killed her young daughter had an unexpected outcome: the discovery of a vaccine against old age. Just one jab a year reverses your biological clock, guaranteeing a long, healthy life.

But Ruth’s cure was hijacked by her colleague, Erik Grundleger, who hungers for immortality, and the SuperJuve – a premium upgrade – was created, driving human lifespan to a new high. The wealthy elite who take it are dubbed Supers, and the population begins to skyrocket. Then, a perilous side-effect of the SuperJuve emerges, with catastrophic consequences, and as the planet is threatened, the population rebels, and laws are passed to restore order: life ends at 120. Supers are tracked down by Omnicide investigators like Mara … and executed…

Mara has her own reasons for hunting Supers, and she forms an unlikely alliance with Ruth to find Grundleger. But Grundleger has been working on something even more radical and is one step ahead, with a deadly surprise in store for them both…

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her.

Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as ‘an exciting new voice in crime fiction’, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was a Book of the Month in the Guardian, who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s.

It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine, and ONE, about survival in a world ravaged by climate change.

Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

My thoughts: Eve Smith likes to write books that give you the creeps, and this one is no different. Scientists have discovered a “cure” to ageing, essentially to death, but of course there’s an evil scientist and his billionaire backers who want to live forever – even if it does send you psychotic and mean you have to be put down by law enforcement like a rabid raccoon.

Ruth was one of those scientists, but she was searching for a cure for a rare disease, one that killed her own daughter, not eternal youth. A colleague took her formula and now chaos. Those who can afford it extend their lives, while those who can’t continue to die at the same rate. There is hatred from the have-nots that spills over into violence as poverty sky rockets, resources are stretched to their utter limits. New rules are introduced to manage resources and keep the world turning, but the rogue scientists are still out there and more dangerous than ever. 

Teaming up with an investigator, Mara, Ruth heads to Jamaica on the trail of her nemesis. He supposedly died with the rest of his team in an explosion, but they’ve recently learnt that’s not true, and a sighting of one of his associates, has them on the move.

They will learn the extreme lengths this dangerous man has gone to and fight for their lives, and the future of humanity.

And I will have nightmares. Because honestly, if this was a real thing, I can easily imagine certain individuals being very keen on this and wrecking utter havoc with it. More so than they already are.

It was a really good read, but not a particularly settling one. So be prepared.

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

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Blog Tour: Eva is Waiting – Romola Farr

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Following the death of her mother, Lily is sent to a remote girls’ boarding school, tearing her away from all the excitement of London in the Swingin’ Sixties. Bereft, she develops a relationship with Rainer, the husband of Sylvia, the headmistress.

One day, Bella, the school Collie, goes missing whilst playing on the shore below sheer cliffs. Despite a rising tide, Lily is determined to find the beautiful dog and discovers her trapped between rocks in
a cave. Deepening water swirls around them as her fingertips dig into the sand and touch the smooth surface of what she believes to be an animal skull. From that moment on, she is haunted by a young
girl pleading for help.

Lily speaks to her headmistress and learns that eleven years previously a pupil went missing. Eva was a refugee from Hungary, and it was assumed by the police that she had run away.
Forced to stay on at school during the Christmas holiday, Lily is caught between those who know what really happened and wish to silence her, and her determination to end Eva’s wait for justice.
But is history about to repeat itself?

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Romola Farr first trod the boards on the West End stage aged sixteen and continued to work for the next eighteen years in theatre, TV and film – and as a photographic model. A trip to Hollywood led to the sale of her first screenplay and a successful change of direction as a screenwriter and playwright.

Bridge To Eternity was her debut novel, and Breaking Through the Shadows and Where the Water Flows are standalone sequels. All are contemporary stories located in the fictional town of Hawksmead. Eva is Waiting is set in a remote girls’ boarding school in 1965.

Romola Farr is a nom de plume.

My thoughts: Lily has a terrible time of it at this horrific boarding school – already mourning her mother, her twin brother, resident at a nearby boys’ school, drowns, various adult men take advantage of her, a cruel and monstrous doctor forces unwanted examinations and drugs her, the headmistress is too distracted by her terrible marriage and the school’s financial issues to care about the single student at the school in the holidays, and there’s a conspiracy going on with links to the Second World War and the Cold War.

When Lily starts to be haunted by the ghost of a missing, and probably murdered, schoolgirl, who nobody really bothered to look for, things get even worse. Asking questions about Eva’s disappearance draws unwanted attention and makes her situation worse.

Cut off from anyone who might help her, Lily takes risks trying to escape from her school. But orders have been issued, her father is a diplomat in Moscow and his remaining child is leverage. Can Lily survive the threats against her and stop the conspiracy that threatens her and the school? Can she also get justice for Eva?

Shocking, dark and violent, this is basically the inverse of every boarding school story Enid Blyton ever wrote, replete with murder, anti-semitism, violence and cruelty. I liked it, but feel a bit like I really shouldn’t.

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

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Blog Tour: Tusks, Tails & Teacakes – T.L. Stone

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We’re celebrating the release of Tusks, Tails & Teacakes by T.L. Stone! If you like your romantic fantasy cozy with a healthy sprinkle of cottagecore, you’re going to love this!

Tusks, Tails & Teacakes: A Slice-of-Life Cozy Romantic Fantasy (Tales from the Tavern Book 1)

Publication Date: April 4, 2025

Genre: Cozy Romantic Fantasy
High fantasy
He falls first
Cinnamon roll hero
Low stakes
Slow-burn romance
Found family
Cozy vibes
Tavern makeover
Coming home
Mythical creatures
Neurodivergent orc

A scoop of high fantasy, a spoonful of Hallmark rom-com, and a generous sprinkle of cottagecore coziness.

Welcome to The Tusk & Tail Tavern where the fire is always crackling, the meat pies are rich and savory, the air is filled with laughter and bard-song, and friends are like family. At least, it used to be…

Half-elf Lira is eager to return to The Tusk & Tail Tavern, where she and her companions set off on their adventures many years ago. But the rundown tavern is no longer the bustling hub where dwarf mercenaries and halfling farmers shared pints over a friendly game of dice. More crucially, what Lira came back for—what she buried in the tavern’s basement—is now bricked over.

What better way to stay close to her hidden treasure—and figure out a way to retrieve it—than to offer to restore the tavern? After all, her grandmother taught her to bake, and she still remembers the recipes—for the most part.

She doesn’t count on having to partner with a dwarf warrior named Sassy or have a surprisingly clever, winged ermine take up residence in her kitchen. And she’s grateful for the shy orc soldier who offers to fix her stove and everything else that keeps breaking in the tavern, but why does he seem afraid to talk to her?

As she and her rag-tag group breathe life back into The Tusk & Tail Tavern, Lira remembers the joy in an evening by the fire, the value of a true friend, and what it’s like to fight as hard for the quiet moments in life as the ones marked by glory and treasure.

But leaving your past in the past isn’t always so easy. Danger has a way of finding Lira no matter how far she runs, but now she has more to protect than herself. And if she wants to leave her days of deception behind her, she’ll have to reveal the truth to those she’s grown to love.

Tusks, Tails & Teacakes is a wholesome, low-stakes, slice-of-life cozy fantasy chock full of mythical creatures and magic. It features no kingdoms to be saved, no epic journeys or warring armies. Only gentle intrigue, the power of unexpected friendship, and the hope that you can make the world a better place one buttery teacake and warm cup of chai at a time.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

My thoughts: If you’re like me and you’re waiting for the next Legends & Lattes, read this. I loved it. It’s a sweet and charming story of friendship, found family and falling in love.

Lira leaves her crew and returns to the village she grew up in, hoping to retrieve something she hid there. Unfortunately someone has concreted over it, in the cellar of the inn, the Tusk & Tail.

Things have gone downhill since the inn keeper’s wife died, and he longer serves food. Teaming up with dwarf Sassy, Lira sets to work cleaning up the inn and baking her grandmother’s recipes.

As the duo make changes, the customers come, including members of the town’s guards, an orc Lira remembers from her childhood. A few old friends make their way there too and soon Lira is building a new crew to help her retrieve her grandmother’s recipe book from under the inn.

This was so lovely and cute and I can’t wait to read book two!



IG: @tlstoneauthor @rrbooktours

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#rrbooktours #rrbtTTANDT #cozyfantasy #cottagecore #tlstone #cozythedayaway #cozyfantasybooks #cosyfantasy #cosyfantasybooks #romanticfantasy #lowstakesfantasy #TusksTailsandTeacakes #slowburnromance

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

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Blogathon: The Executioner – Chris Carter

ramblingmads

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked body of a priest. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood.

At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

My thoughts: It’s another twisted case for detectives Hunter and Garcia, starting with a dead priest in a church, his head replaced with that of a dog. The killings are nasty and replete with meaning known only to the killer, but Hunter must get inside this murderer’s head to understand the motivation and stop him before more people are killed.

Each victim is made to confront their deepest, darkest fears as they die, and the deaths are gruesome and sadistic. Whoever the killer is, he knows a lot about his victims. The duo dig into the lives of the deceased to hunt for their killer, a warped and cruel mind.

Another chilling case for Hunter and Garcia, utilising Hunter’s remarkable ability to think like a killer and Garcia’s straight down the line policing. They balance each other well, Garcia providing a grounding presence as Hunter turns inwards and mentally becomes the monster they seek.

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