Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Death Plunge – Michael K. Foster

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Somebody wants her dead. But there’s a problem. She’s Jack Mason’s partner. 

DCI Mason’s peaceful existence is about to be shattered by a notorious gangster’s release from prison. But that’s not the only problem. His partner, a successful physiotherapist, is now the target of a violent stalker.

The perpetrator might be a name from his past. Might be.

What could be more dangerous than a serial killer seeking revenge? Increased brutality. Excess.

With time slipping away, Mason must confront his nemesis head-on if he is to save the woman he cherishes more than anything. If not…

Death Plunge is the seventh book in the Jack Mason crime series. 

If you enjoy dark, action-packed crime novels with complex characters and unexpected psychological turns, then Michael’s latest instalment will captivate you. 

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Michael K Foster has been writing bestseller crime thrillers since 2006, all of them based in and around the North East of England. He released his bestselling debut novel, ‘The Wharf Butcher,’ in 2015, offering a unique insight into this rugged landscape. Since then, he has written seven full-length novels featuring the hard-hitting DCI Jack Mason and has garnished an army of loyal readers.

Michael was born in Plymouth, England. After ten years’ service in the British Army, he moved to Newcastle, where he earned his master’s degree. A former magistrate and lifelong fan of the mystery and crime thriller genres, he now lives in County Durham where he enjoys travelling, walking, and two Siamese cats.

Readers can find out more about Michael via his website or find him on Facebook, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

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My thoughts: With the local gangsters making moves and a serial killer in town, DCI Mason is pretty busy. He’s setting up a new unit to deal with priority cases, and the arson of a night club and a missing young man are two that fall under the rapid response team’s purview so the team are busy. Then there’s the risk to Mason’s partner, Barbara, who he sends to stay with her sister, and keep her safe till he’s found out who’s behind it and stopped them. 

The cases Mason and his team are working on are complex and tricky, with lots of twists and turns along the way. The serial killer is particularly unhinged, and the local villains’ way of doing business is causing trouble for the police, with them forcing out rivals and starting fires.

A clever and gripping police procedural, with well drawn characters and an enjoyable, tense plot.

*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: Scandalous Women – Gill Paul

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1966: In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World is Full of Married Men hits bookshops and launches her career.

In New York, Jacqueline Susann’s debut novel Valley of the Dolls is published, and she’s desperate for it to be a bestseller. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for begin women who dare to write about sex.

In Manhattan, college graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house. But Nancy could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter on the job.

But when Nancy introduces the two Jackies, she never could have predicted what was about to happen next. As she strives to achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, can all three women succeed despite the men determined to hold them back?

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a bookclub favourite worldwide. She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

My thoughts: I love Valley of the Dolls, I think it’s an incredible novel and I’m fascinated by the Collins sisters – but I know more about Joan than Jackie.

So this, which creates a friendship between Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins (my leopard print loving role model) during the 60’s and 70’s when they were both writing their bestsellers is a truly fascinating and fantastic read.

Gill Paul writes about extraordinary women like the two Jackies and her created character, Nancy, a woman fighting for her place in the sexist world of publishing. I loved Nancy, part of me wants to be Nancy as she bonds with the two brilliant authors and edits their books, dismissed by the men at the publishing houses as not worthy enough. The fact that both women’s books are still published today and enjoyed by millions of readers definitely proves Nancy (and the real life women who inspired her) right.

The book is lots of fun, and both Jackies are brilliantly brought back to life, vivid and funny, clever and acerbic. Hardworking and determined to provide the best possible lives for their children, writing at a time even more dismissive of women’s writing than now. It’s glamorous at times, yes, but also shows the sheer hard slog of working to become something.

*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: One Midnight With You – Shari Low

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What would you do if you had just twenty-four hours to change your life?

Ailish Ryan has been in hiding since her husband’s affair ended their marriage. But when a friend forces her to face her new reality, will she choose to revisit the past or embrace a brand new future?

Ailish’s daughter, Emmy, thought her boyfriend was nothing like her cheating father, but now she’s not so sure. As the hours pass, she turns detective to find out if she picked the right man, or if history
is repeating itself.

Grandmother, Minnie Ryan is on a mission to deliver a very special gift to a lifelong friend. But will grit and a touch of divine intervention be enough to overcome the obstacles that fate is putting in her way?

Dario Moretti has spent his whole life working in the family business, but now it’s in trouble and he’s all out of options. Will he have the strength to let it go, even if it means hurting the people he loves?

The clock is ticking… but will twenty-four hours be long enough to heal four broken hearts?

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Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

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My thoughts: It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of people – family members, friends, old acquaintances (who will not be forgot!) are getting ready for a night out but there’s plenty of life and love to sort out first.

Ailish doesn’t feel like celebrating as her divorce has just been finalised, and two years ago to the day she found out her husband was a cheat, so NYE doesn’t hold much joy for her. But best friend Gwen is getting out of the hospital today, and so, with the final corner of their friendship triangle Rhonda, she’s off to get glammed up and party.

Emmy is at work at the hospital, she’s a nurse in geriatrics and her boyfriend is a firefighter – but something’s been a bit off with him recently. Could Cormac be lying to her? Is he a cheat like her dad?

Minnie is running a few last minute errands before putting on her glad rags and heading out on her longtime traditional night out at Gino’s restaurant. She and husband Henry have gone there every year, this one won’t be any different, or will it.

Then there’s Gino’s own family – his son Dario now runs the family business, but things aren’t looking good. Can he save the restaurant or is it time to admit that it’s over?

As all of these people gather together, before the clock strikes twelve, some life changing decisions must be made.

I freaking loved this book – I adore Shari’s stories, her characters always feel like real people, not fantasy figures – teachers, nurses, hairdressers, chefs – I know people just like them. And their problems are familiar too. But of course, things work out in the best possible ways for everyone – even if at first it doesn’t look like they will. This is a lovely festive read to put on your tbr or even your Christmas list so Santa can drop it off for you to read!

*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: How Not to be a Supermodel – Ruth Crilly

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‘As Miranda Priestley might say, ‘a million girls would kill for this job’.

Well, Ruth Crilly is here to tell you why that might … not … quite be true.

England. 2001. Ruth Crilly has embarked on a law degree and is destined for a life of normality and stability. That is, of course, until she sticks a polaroid of herself in a box somewhere in Birmingham and is scouted by one of the biggest agencies in the world.

Flung between Redditch and Milan, telesales and Vogue, wizard cloaks and red shearling coats, follow Ruth through a riproaring, hilarious decade of not-quite-making-it as a supermodel. Fuelled by little more than cigarettes and a fear of being measured she criss-crosses the world in pursuit of fame and fortune.

Bridget Jones meets the Devil Wears Prada as told by a mix of Marina Hyde and Bryony Gordon: How Not To Be A Supermodel is a time capsule of a book that dives into one of the world’s most fascinating industries. Offering a glimpse into both the high glamour and juddering reality of a by-gone era, this is a comic memoir gracefully relayed by a pessimistic, sardonic disaster-magnet.

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Ruth is an award-winning online writer and content creator respected for her honest beauty reviews and loved for her hilarious, unfiltered life updates. After spending over a decade as a fashion model, she became one of the UK’s first social media stars in 2010 and her eponymous blog has been read more than 50 million times. Her earlier career as a successful fashion model left her with a fear of tape measures, diminished confidence in her physical appearance and a horrible tendency to rely on selfdeprecation as a form of humour. Follow Ruth on Instagram: ruthcrilly Subscribe to Ruth’s YouTube channel: amodelrecommends

“What you’re about to read is a very frank, very truthful account of what happened to me as a fashion model, twenty-ish years ago. Brace yourself. Seldom has a memoir been so misguidedly brave – rarely will you have seen an author left so vulnerable, so very exposed to utter humiliation and ridicule. I only ask that you read it in the intended spirit, which is to laugh uproariously and revel in my humiliation. Because this isn’t a grim exposé of the modelling industry in the noughties: it’s a raucous, hilarious romp through a decade of my biggest and best mishaps and catastrophes, some of which were no doubt brought upon myself. (But not the time that I accidentally performed in an informal sex show, that was entirely down to fate.)

How Not To Be A Supermodel isn’t (just) a grouse about how I was never cool enough, tall enough or thin enough to make it to true modelling stardom: it’s a catalogue of all the ways I wasn’t cut out for a life of fame and fortune. It’s a nostalgic love/hate letter to my bizarre first career and all of the ways it probably messed me up. I’m sure you will find yourself totally immersed in the world of modelling from the very first sentence (which is, incidentally, ‘You don’t see Milla Jovovich with a fluctuating arse,”) but just in case you need a little help getting into the zone, I’ve recorded a guided meditation. Take a few moments before you begin the book; find a quiet space, close your eyes and allow yourself to be transported right back to 2001, into the mind of a fledgling fashion model…”

My thoughts: I follow Ruth on Instagram and think she’s hilarious so I was excited to read her memoir, all about her modelling career in the 00s.

She is just as funny in print as on social media, turning her misadventures in the model business into an entertaining and occasionally alarming read. Viewed from 2024 the things that were accepted in the early 00s do seem completely crazy  – and Ruth is very aware of that.

It’s also the story of how Ruth met her lovely husband, a photographer then known as Filthy Rich. And why she quit modelling, having done her degree and almost died in the freezing cold, and decided to do something else – be absolutely hilarious on the Internet.

I think it helped that Ruth has a sense of humour and never took the whole modelling thing too seriously, luckily never developed any addictions or eating disorders and was down to earth and in her twenties.

There are some pretty unpleasant things she went through and some truly mean people, but on the whole she survived it all, the weird concepts (the penguin hat was particularly bizarre), the travel to stay in grim apartments and earn a total of £28.28 for a month in Tokyo, the poor health from the strange hours, the freezing cold location shoots, the standing still for ages.

The book is very funny, Ruth has a wry tone familiar to her online followers and a healthy disregard for fashion’s insanity. She’s fully aware that the obsession with thin is unhealthy and stupid, she was on the large side of modelling at a size 10, which seems bonkers when the average is a size 16, but most models are even tinier.

It was a really fascinating read but like Ruth, I’m glad she got out in one piece and is happier and enjoying the life she has now, with her family, cat, and career. 

*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 Grass Widow – Vanessa Edwards

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Ditched by her married lover Hugh on the day she was made redundant, Leonie plans to make life difficult for Hugh while she searches for a new job. She inveigles her way into his house as a cleaner, intending to plant fake clues to his new liaison for his wife Amanda to find. But instead she discovers real clues to Amanda’s secrets.

Meanwhile, fellow cleaners Brenda and Tina also have hidden agendas as they work: Brenda is counting on a spot of blackmail and Tina is looking for financial information to sell to her dodgy brother-in-law.

At the centre of this web is Amanda’s gardener Simon: handsome, ruthless and plausible, with a shady past and lofty ambitions.

A death in an apparent accident arouses Leonie’s suspicions. Can she put aside her animosity towards Amanda and use her impressive – if sometimes unorthodox – investigative skills to find the truth before someone else dies?

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Vanessa is a solicitor specialising in EU law who has worked in private practice in London and Brussels and for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

After taking early retirement from the legal profession she turned her hand to fiction.

She lives in Hampstead and likes wine, walking and music of many sorts. And of course reading and writing.

My thoughts: I love a blackly comic novel of revenge and underhand business, and this was exactly that. People often overlook their cleaners and gardeners, forgetting they’re there and that they see and hear everything.

Leonie was made redundant on the same day that her married lover dumped her, so she’s out for revenge, getting a job as his cleaner means she can leave clues that will hopefully get him into hot water with his wife, Amanda…

…who’s having her own affair with Simon the gardener – unfortunately he’s not actually a very nice man, he’s ruthless and keen to get his hands on more than just Hugh’s wife.

Meanwhile Leonie’s fellow cleaners are resorting to criminal means to supplement their small incomes after their crappy partners both leave them high and dry.

Winchester doesn’t strike most as a hot bed of intrigue and crime, but in this book, the cathedral isn’t what we’re here to see. As the cleaners go about their business, legitimate and otherwise, they gather a lot of information about their clients and their goings on, which becomes useful as Amanda’s secret relationship takes a dark turn.

Clever, full of twists and turns, these characters could start a PI agency while cleaning houses, it’s funny and smartly written, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Would love more from these rather brilliant characters and definitely from this writer.

*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 Notice – Simon Maltman

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2000

Michael Walker – former IRA volunteer, turned MI5 informer – had his quiet existence shattered when an IRA hit squad was dispatched on his trail to America.

One year on, Walker has been recovering from having his identity blown.

Now living in New York, he is visited by Amy Landish. The former FBI agent is looking for help to find her missing cousin, Lisa.

Walker and his other new ally, Brandon Johnson – a former thief who had robbed him – immediately agree to do anything that they can. The trio are reunited, once again set on a deadly course.

Their investigation leads to the small town of Six Mile, but the last thing they expect is to end up on the hunt for a serial killer.

Walker does not ingratiate himself with the locals or the police, while becoming the target of the killer himself. Just as Walker closes in on his quarry he receives news from home, in Belfast.

Walker moves from one danger zone to another as he finds himself back in IRA territory, where his old comrades want him dead.

Returning to Six Mile, the killer strikes again and closer to home. Walker made a promise to track him down and he doesn’t intend to break it.

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Simon Maltman is the author of novels, novellas and short stories, released with various publishers. An Amazon Bestseller from Northern Ireland he writes a range of crime fiction thrillers. A regular guest at festivals and events, he is the tour guide for Belfast Noir, and also a well known book reviewer for the likes of ITV and online journals. An established ‘Ulster Noir’ author, he also writes American-set high concept thrillers.

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My thoughts: I was a teenager in 2000 and flew to the US by myself to stay with family, but my American trip was very different to the one the characters in this book are having. They’re looking for a missing teenage girl, and possibly multiple missing girls as their hunt intensifies.

Asked by his friend Amy to look for her cousin, Michael Walker, former IRA man turned MI5 informant (the worst thing he could do according to his former colleagues) and his sidekick Brandon drive down from New York to have a look. The local police haven’t made much effort and Aunt Rose is getting very worried as this is out of character for her daughter.

The duo interview Lisa’s friends, crappy boyfriend, teachers, neighbours and finally get a lead. Then suddenly Michael is called back to Belfast – his dad’s dying and this might be his last chance to see him. But this puts him directly in the firing line, he’s still on the IRA’s most wanted, despite the peace process being in, well, process. Despite the risk and having to leave Amy to continue the hunt alone, he and Brandon pop back to the old country.

There’s a lot of action in the book, car chases (including in a small car in the Irish countryside), shootouts, vendettas being carried out, innocent bystanders getting caught up in it, fights with idiots in hockey masks, but Michael and Brandon, and indeed at one point Amy, acquit themselves well and mostly survive to see another day, and keep looking for Lisa.

I really enjoyed this book, I’ve been learning a fair bit about Ireland and it’s history (mysteriously absent from the English school curriculum – I wonder why?!) recently and so this was a nice slice of recent politics, and with lots of 90s/00s pop culture references too. It’s also a great thriller and the trio make excellent detectives – perhaps that’s in their future.

I loved Michael’s habit of quoting famous Irish writers and comparing himself and Brandon to famous crime fighting teams. He’s a great character and well supported in both plot terms and in action terms by Brandon and Amy. More please!

*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 Brampton Witch Murders – Ellis Blackwood

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Can Samuel Pepys save his sister from the hangman’s noose?

As the Great Fire devours London in 1666, another firestorm rages in the tranquil village of Brampton, where Pepys’s sister, Paulina, stands accused of witchcraft.

Pepys summons his inquisitors, Abigail Harcourt and Jacob Standish, plunging them into the heart of the witch-hunt. Can Abigail, Pepys’s astute housemaid, and Jacob, his awkward yet eager protégé, unravel a web of secrets, whispers and lies to clear Paulina’s name?

Racing against time, Abigail and Jacob must confront a formidable adversary: Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General. Possessed by his father’s Puritan zeal, he will stop at nothing to prove Paulina’s sorcery and send her to the gallows.

To the pious folk of Brampton, the options are stark. Witch or not? Life or death?

The Samuel Pepys Mysteries bring 17th century England vividly to life, in the company of the celebrated diarist himself, and his personal inquisitors, Abby and Jacob. 

If you love a murder mystery wrapped in history, this series is for you.

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Ellis Blackwood fell in love with the writings of Samuel Pepys, and the 17th-century England he inhabited, through the great man’s published diaries. The Samuel Pepys Mysteries are the result of that literary love affair.

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My thoughts: Samuel Pepys is one of history’s more interesting figures, his famous diaries cover a truly fascinating period of English history and he was one of life’s survivors, swapping sides after the Restoration and avoiding prison as a traitor by getting on Charles II’s good side. 

In fact, he got some pretty important jobs out of it, and the power and influence that comes with it. Which comes in handy when his inquisitors, Abigail and Jacob, fall foul of local law enforcement in the village of Brampton, where his parents and sister live.

Simon Hopkins, son of the infamous Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, is living in the Puritan past – wearing his late father’s clothes and attempting to imitate the terrible and cruel witch trials, even though society has moved on.

Pepys’ sister Paulina has been accused of cursing a local farmer, and with the disreputable local magistrate on his side, things look bleak. But Abby and Jacob are smart and capable investigators, they’ve got science and plenty of people who will attest that Paulina isn’t even remotely a witch. Everything hangs on proving that Hopkins is a fraud and that the accusations are false.

This was a really fun read, I love the concept of Pepys and his cohorts carrying out investigations and righting wrongs at a time before we had a proper detective force, and crime was prosecuted in a very different way than it is now.

*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: A Corpse in Christmas Close – Michelle Salter

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When a pantomime turns deadly, Iris investigates a cast of killers…

Christmas, 1923.

When reporter Iris Woodmore is sent to cover the Prince of Wales’ visit to historic
Winchester, she discovers more than just royal gossip.
The leading lady in Winchester Cathedral’s charity pantomime is found dead in mysterious circumstances. And the chief suspect is Cinderella’s handsome prince, played by Percy Baverstock’s younger brother, Freddie.
For the sake of the Baverstocks, Iris must investigate the murder, even though it means confronting an old enemy. And as the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously, she’s ensnared by someone
she hoped she’d never see again…

Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Claire Gradidge and Emily Organ.

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Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.

My thoughts: Iris gets drawn into a murder mystery at a charity pantomime in Winchester, when Cinderella is found dead outside the church hall at rehearsal. Now I’ve done panto and there are always times when you think about offing whoever is the most annoying member of the cast (or the director) but as far as I know, it’s not happened, at least in any show I’ve been involved with.

However the actress, Rachel, is involved with some rather dodgy people through her work as a receptionist at a local car dealership, both her boss and the manager have secrets, and so did Rachel. Could her death be related to her job and not her role as Cinders, or is something else altogether going on?

Iris digs a lot, asking questions the police don’t or haven’t, she’s determined to get to the truth, even if it puts her in danger. She’s pretty certain that Percy’s brother Freddie (Prince Charming) is innocent, despite his war career, he just seems too gentle, but when his boss also meets a sticky end, it points the finger of suspicion at him ever more firmly. Thankfully Iris doesn’t understand the concept of minding her own business!

Christmas is round the corner, and she’s hoping to get to the bottom of this case before the year ends. Unfortunately the horrible Archie is back in town, and Iris doesn’t need the distraction and upset as she investigates.

It’s another cracking case for the intrepid journalist, the twists are totally unexpected and brilliantly done. And who doesn’t love a festive murder?

*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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Cover Reveal & Book Review: The Passion of the Cross – Tony Lee Moral

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When famed curator Giovanni Montefiore is shockingly murdered at the Italian Opera in Rome following his bold proclamation regarding the authenticity of the True Cross, there are many suspects, but suspicion falls heavily upon his nephew, Mario Montefiore.

With his American girlfriend, actress Catriona Benedict, by his side, they embark on a perilous quest for truth and to uncover the real killer, leading them through some of Italy’s most iconic and glamorous cities.

But as the body count rises and the relentless pursuit of both law enforcement and paparazzi intensifies, they find themselves fleeing to Florence in search of the True Cross, which they hope holds the answers they need. Amidst the ancient streets of Florence, Catriona assumes a daring new identity, delving into a world of shadows and deception.

Will they uncover the secrets surrounding the True Cross before it’s too late?

Tony Lee Moral is a mystery and suspense writer who has previously published three novels, and four non-fiction books about the works of Alfred Hitchcock in both the UK and US.

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My thoughts: this was really good, a crime novel with all sorts of twists and turns, the plot is clever and involves a centuries old mystery – is the relic that the Vatican believes to be a piece of the True Cross real or just a random chunk of old wood?

Catriona and Mario are in Italy having recovered a lost Caravaggio in New York and returning it to the gallery it belongs to. They were expecting a reward, but Mario’s uncle says there isn’t any money – although he never really explains why. After a row, the men part ways on bad terms. Which is why when Giovanni is murdered at the opera, Mario becomes a suspect. But the dying man’s last words send them off on a treasure hunt and running away from the police to Florence chasing the clues.

The pair and their friend Freddie are put in danger as the search intensifies – there’s an FBI agent, the Roman police, dodgy collectors and a gangster too. The whole tale is like the Italian mountain roads, with turns and twists, sudden terrifying moments and blind corners (this is a terrible metaphor). 

I need to read the previous book in this series  – The Two Masks of Vendetta – to read all about Catriona and Mario’s Caravaggio adventure. Both books are being published this September and will be available in all the usual places.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Prey – Vanda Symon

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On her first day back from maternity leave, Detective Sam Shephard is thrown straight into a cold-case investigation – the unsolved murder of a highly respected Anglican Priest in Dunedin. The case has been a thorn in the side of the Police hierarchy, and for her boss it’s personal.

With all the witness testimony painting a picture of a dedicated church and family man, what possible motive could there have been for his murder? But when Sam starts digging deeper into the case, it becomes apparent that someone wants the sins of the past to remain hidden. And when a new potential witness to the crime is found brutally murdered, there is pressure from all quarters to solve the case before anyone else falls prey. But is it already too late…?

Vanda Symon is a crime writer from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the President of the New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. The Sam Shephard series, which includes Overkill, The Ringmaster, Containment, Bound and Expectant, hit number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and has also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award. Overkill was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Bound and Expectant have been nominated for USA Barry Awards. All five books have been digital bestsellers, and are in production for the screen. She is also the author of the standalone thriller Faceless, and lives in Dunedin with her family.

My thoughts: I did a happy dance when the lovely Anne sent over my review copy of this book, I enjoy this series so much. Sam is a fantastic character and the crimes she investigates are so well plotted and just twisty enough.

She’s just back from maternity leave, worrying about not being with her daughter, navigating breast milk pumping in the office and getting into a schedule so someone always does the pick up from childcare.

Given a very personal cold case by her awful boss, one where the witnesses are few and far between, that has been open for a long time with no answers. That’s because Sam wasn’t the one on the case. Now she is, she’s a dedicated detective, but the things she uncovers might not be what her boss wanted to hear.

Dealing with the office politics on top of everything else is a lot and if it weren’t for her colleagues, I’m not sure Sam would stick it out. The case is just interesting enough though for her not to bail and run home to snuggle up with her baby.

It’s a doozy, a murdered vicar, his family the last to see him according to the reports from the time. No one left in the church and no obvious suspects. The victim was well liked by his community and no one appeared to have a motive. But as Sam digs, that turns out not to be quite the truth.

I really enjoyed this book, I was so pleased to have more Sam Shepherd in my reading life, Vanda Symons is such a good writer. The case was clever and with some excellent twists and turns. Really good stuff.

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