Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: James Ryker series – The Green Viper – Rob Sinclair

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Preorder the intense action thriller from million copy bestseller Rob Sinclair

I need your help. Call me.


Ex-intelligence agent James Ryker receives a coded message through a secret drop point, a means of communication known only to him and one other person. The problem is, that other person is his ex-boss, Mackie… and he’s already dead.
But the cry for help is real, and it’s a request Ryker can’t refuse.

Travelling to New York alone and without official sanction, Ryker has a single goal in mind, yet even he couldn’t have bargained for the violent world he’s soon embroiled in. Caught in the middle of a spiralling chaos with the FBI on one side, and two warring underworld bosses on the other, Ryker must put all of his skills to the test in order to come out on top, and keep his word.
In a world full of lies and deceit, loyalty is everything, and it’s time for James Ryker to pay his dues.A fast-paced thriller filled with twists, turns, and intrigue that will grip fans of Mark Dawson and the
Jason Bourne novels.

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Rob Sinclair is the million copy bestseller of over twenty thrillers, including the James Ryker series.

Rob previously studied Biochemistry at Nottingham University. He also worked for a global accounting firm for 13 years, specialising in global fraud investigations.

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My thoughts: Asked by the dying wife of his former mentor to help their son, former agent James Ryker (not his real name) heads across the pond to track down the absent man. His girlfriend’s father is a gangster, drug dealer, and all round bad guy and now Ryker has to rescue Campbell from his future father-in-law, before the feud between Green and Irish criminal Doughty takes him down with them.

Unfortunately the FBI don’t see things the same way, and Ryker is happy to share intelligence but wants to do things his own way. Agent Chen doesn’t agree.

It’s an action packed, as Ryker races back and forth across New York trying to take down the criminals and keep his old friend’s son safe.

*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 Grand Summer – Ewald Arenz, translated by Rachel Ward

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Sixteen-year-old Frieder’s plans for the summer are shattered when he fails two subjects. In order to move up to the next school year in the Autumn, he must resit his exams. So, instead of going on holiday with his family, he now faces the daunting and boring prospect of staying at his grandparents’ house, studying with his strict and formal step-grandfather.

On the bright side, he’ll spend time with his grandmother Nana, his sister Alma and his best friend Johann. And he meets Beate, the girl in the beautiful green swimsuit…

The next few weeks will bring friendship, fear and first love – one grand summer that will change and shape his entire life.

Heartbreaking, poignant and warmly funny, One Grand Summer is an unforgettable, tender novel that captures those exquisite and painful moments that make us who we are.

Ewald Arenz, born in Nürnberg in 1965, studied English and American literature and history. He is a teacher at a secondary school in Nürnberg. His novels and plays have received many awards. Ewald lives near Fürth with his family.

My thoughts: Everything feels so much more when you’re young, for Freidrich, having to spend the summer with his grandparents and resit two exams in order to pass the school year seems like a terrible punishment. But instead he gets to know his grandparents better – his stern Grandfather turns out to be more interesting and funny than he thought and his Nana is a talented artist and shares the story of her life, fleeing to West Germany with her two children and mother, then meeting Grandfather.

He also spends time learning to dive, with his friend Johann, sister Alma, and first love Beate. They might go very far, mostly hanging around their home town, but the four form a bond. When tragedy strikes one of them, the other three rally to support them as they struggle.

It’s a bittersweet and evocative read, summoning up all the feelings and intensity of youth. Beautifully written and translated, it captures a summer that will stay with Freider his whole life.

*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 Betrayal of Thomas True – A.J. West

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The only sin is betrayal…

It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.

Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?

Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

A.J. West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long-forgotten true story. His second novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, is published July 2024.

An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events.

A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.

My thoughts: set in the world of molly houses, secretive clubs where gay and bisexual men gathered when homosexuality was illegal and men could be hung for the crime of sodomy, The Betrayal of Thomas True relates in slightly Dickensian ways, the story of young Thomas True, who runs away to London from Highgate (then a village outside of London) to stay with his relatives, a macabre uncle and aunt and cousin Abigail, his pen pal. They run a chandlery – making candles, and Thomas asks to apprentice rather than return to his parents.

He meets The community of “mollies” that gather at Mother Clap’s, discovering his place and his true desires there. Unfortunately the men who congregate there are under threat and with a Rat passing their names to the authorities and their friends being killed.

There’s a playfulness to the language – and certainly in the nicknames the mollies use for themselves in their community, as well as in the characters’ daytime names. As Gabriel and Thomas hunt for this Rat, as their friends are arrested and prosecuted, executed and murdered, and as the two fall in love; they see horrors, confront assassins and venture into Bedlam to rescue one of their number.

Georgian London’s dank underworld, it’s sinister demi monde is explored in fascinating and intelligent detail. Despite the darkness of Thomas’ London life, there is some brightness and colour in his misadventures. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and was sad to reach its end.

*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 Lost Queen – Carol McGrath

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1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .

It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised
bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.

There are hazards along the way – vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms, and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus.
England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . .

The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.

Acclaim for Carol McGrath’s ROSE trilogy:
‘Powerful, gripping and beautifully told’ KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose

‘A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters’ NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose

‘A beautifully narrated novel’ K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose

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Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London.

The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy.

Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020.

The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022.

Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18th July 2022. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.

Find Carol on her website:
http://www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.

Follow her on amazon @CarolMcGrath
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My thoughts: I don’t know a lot about Queen Berengaria, wife of Richard the Lionheart, she’s been relegated to a footnote in history books. Married overseas and rarely together, they had no heir and she didn’t come to England during Richard’s reign – to be fair he wasn’t exactly here much, leaving ruling to his mother Dowager Queen Eleanor (of Aquitaine).

The Berengaria in this book is strong willed, intelligent and brave. Travelling across Europe from her family’s kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain) to Cyprus and on to the Holy Lands, where Richard was once again on campaign in the Crusades, attempting to wrest Jerusalem from the grasp of the Muslim Sultan, Saladin.

This was really enjoyable to read, Carol McGrath is one of the historical fiction writers who really knows how to bring history and its people to life. Berengaria and her women, sister-in-law Queen Joanna and the fictional Lady Avelina (created to narrate their adventures and offer a different viewpoint) live in Palestine as the two armies seize and cede territory, exchange hostages and thrash out terms. 

They brave pirates and squabbling rulers to travel to France, to Richard’s holdings in Acquitaine, given to him by his mother. Where Berengaria will live out her days after Richard dies during another battle, this time against his old enemy, the king of France. 

She lived a long life, and while she never married again, and never sat on the English throne, she deserves her place in the annals of history, not consigned to a footnote. 

*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: That Which Stands Outside – Mark Morris

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A new chiller from multi award winning author of over 50 novels, winner of the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Drama Special and Festival Radio Awards.

That Which Stands Outside is a horror novel inspired by Nordic folklore. After Todd Kingston rescues Yrsa Helgerson from muggers one rainy London night, their resulting friendship quickly develops into a romance. When Yrsa’s mother dies, Todd accompanies her back to her childhood home, an isolated Nordic island. The reception they receive there is one of suspicion and hostility. The islanders believe Yrsa to be a child of a mythic race called the Jötnar, a claim which Yrsa dismisses as superstitious nonsense. But as the island is rocked by a series of devastating events, Todd finds himself caught up in a terrifying battle, one which possibly threatens the future of the world itself.

Morris has written and edited over fifty novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies. His script work includes audio dramas for Doctor Who, Jago & Litefoot and the Hammer Chillers series. His most recent work includes the Obsidian Heart trilogy (The Wolves of London, The Society of Blood and The Wraiths of War), the original Predator novel Stalking Shadows (co-written with James A. Moore), the official novelization of the Doctor Who60th anniversary special Wild Blue Yonder,new audio adaptations of the classic 1971 horror movie Blood on Satan’s Claw and the M.R. James ghost story A View From a Hill, a 30th anniversary short story collection Warts And All,and, as editor, the anthologies After Sundown, Beyond the Veil, Close to Midnight and Darkness Beckons. Blood on Satan’s Claw won the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Drama Special, and A View From a Hill won the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Digital Drama Program, and was also awarded Silver at the 2020 Audio & Radio Industry Awards. Mark has won two British Fantasy Awards, and has also been nominated for several Stokers and Shirley Jackson Awards.

My thoughts: set on a remote island off the coast of Iceland, this is a creepy and sinister horror thriller that reminded me why I hate pot holing and why when someone says “let’s go poke a bear” the correct response is to run very fast in the opposite direction.

There aren’t any actual bears here, but creepy gnome like creatures called jotnar – I know in some Nordic tales they’re more benevolent, but these ones are murderous and evil.

Todd’s girlfriend Yrsa is from this island and is the reason he, and then his brother, are there. Her mother’s died and they’ve gone over for the funeral. Then she asks if he thinks his brother Robin and his crew of builders would be willing to come over with their equipment and drill a massive hole into an underground cavern. In the dark, in the local cave system (Bear!!)

Horrible things start happening, beginning with an accident that leaves the victim speaking in an ancient version of the local language (Norse maybe?) and it all gets much worse from there on out. It’s bloody and brutal and Todd is terrified. Will anyone make it off the island alive? 

The writing is tense and gripping, even as things get more horrifying, I couldn’t stop reading. I love a good creepy book. And this is definitely that.

*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 Sword and the Hounds – A.B. Finlayson

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We’re celebrating the highly anticipated second novel in A. B. Finlayson’s Arthur Crazy Series, The Sword and the Hounds!

The Sword and the Hounds

Publication Date: July 23, 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Parliament House Press

For lovers of Gaiman and Pratchett’s GOOD OMENS, SHAUN OF THE DEAD and THE WORLD’S END comes the exciting sequel to THE BOOK AND THE BLADE.

Arthur Crazy was drunk and seeing ghosts.
Now he’s just drunk. The dead are silent, and Arthur is worried he might be living up to the family name. But after going back to where the Crazy people live and spending months sleeping off hangovers in his childhood bed, it’s finally time to return to the land of the living.
Unfortunately, the dead are not done with Arthur.

The hounds are stirring.
The guardians are moving.
The Shadowmen are watching.

And the sword in Arthur’s possession is calling them all.
They’re on their way, but you know what Britain is like—public transport is a joke. Especially at Christmas, it could take some time.
Some people have skeletons in their closet. Arthur has ghosts in his dreams and a sword under his bed… and everyone wants it! The dead, the living, and those dancing on the edge.

Evil stirs in Yorkshire.
Britain needs a hero.
Arthur needs a coffee.
On the moors, the devil rises.

GET IT HERE

My thoughts: I really enjoyed the first book in this very funny series, and I recommend reading it first (The Book & the Blade) as what happens in this book follows straight on and will make a lot more sense out of this one as characters refer to past events and one character in particular’s back story is needed or it will get confusing (Steve, it’s Steve). 

Arthur has fled York and the horrors he faced there, he’s grieving his lost friends and he wants the safety of home and his parents. It’s Christmas so ghosts are everywhere (they prefer it to Halloween, that’s why there’s so many ghost stories at Christmas – my theory) and even in Arthur’s small village in the moors, terrible things are coming. Hell hounds for starters – just one but it’s huge. 

Luckily help is on the way in the form of a pair of bickering twins in a vintage Jag, a former Queen of England and a small dog called Steve. 

Arthur’s parents are pretty laid back about his new powers and his mum in particular is fairly heroic – no evil monster is taking her son! I loved them, and the other slightly bonkers characters a lot. My favourite though is Steve, the bravest, tiniest terrier in all of Yorkshire!

This series is funny, clever and packed full of recognisable references (the first time Steve says “woof” I instantly shouted “Gaspode!” which any Discworld fan will get) and it’s lots of fun to read – not so much to be Arthur (last name Crazy, not Dent, but still an unlucky name in fantasy).  Can’t wait for the next book!

X: @parliamentbooks @RRBookTours1

IG: @a.b.finlayson @parliamentbooks @rrbooktours

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#rrbooktours #rrbttheswordandthehounds #theswordandthehounds #abfinlayson #fantasy #parliamentbooks #parliamenthouse #paranormalbooks #fantasybooks #booktour

*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 Post: Finding Love at Sunset Shore – Bella Osborne

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Sometimes, you have to fake it until you make it…

Ros is too busy for a boyfriend; between work and looking after her poorly father, there’s no time left for a relationship. But when she overhears her dad’s dying wish is for her to find love, Ros is determined to make it happen – or at least, make it look like it has.
Enter Cameron, a struggling mature student with a mountain of debt but a zest for life.
Ros, driven by love for her ailing dad, reluctantly agrees to the simple business transaction: paying Cameron to play the role of her boyfriend. Ros meticulously plans their fake relationship – but when
Cameron decides to go off-script, chaos ensues.
As Ros and Cameron navigate the ups and downs of their faux romance, their differences drive each other crazy. But they may just need each other more than they think…

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Bella has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. Since then she’s written eleven best-selling romantic comedies, two best-selling bookclub reads and won the RNA Romantic Comedy
Novel of the Year Award.
Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She lives in Warwickshire, UK with her husband, daughter and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. When not writing Bella is usually eating custard creams and planning holidays.
For more about Bella, visit her website at http://www.bellaosborne.com or follow her on social media.

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My thoughts: I really enjoyed this cute rom com with its fake dating scheme, and the secondary plot is full of animals, including little babby lambs and some a missing cat.

Ros wants to make her dad happy by showing him that she is in a great relationship as he’s got a rather grim deadline – he’s got cancer and the treatment isn’t working anymore. Ros loves her dad, her mum walked out on them both and he’s a lovely man with a slobbery dog called Gazza (I was a bit concerned that Cameron (a millennial) didn’t know who the original Gazza was – even I know that and I pay zero attention to football!)

But of course sparks fly, Cameron’s a great person, kind, generous, funny and he cooks! Ros is in need of someone like him, she’s isolated and doesn’t have many friends, she barely talks to her colleagues. Several dates, Sunday lunches and dog walks later, will it be love?

Ros has one friend – Darla, who I adored, and she’s working three jobs to clear debt accrued by her crappy ex. She’s cleaning, working in a bar and house sitting. The latest house she’s looking after comes with a selection of livestock  – goats, chickens, ducks and geese. And a little cat – who turns out to belong to the attractive sheep farmer next door. More romance in the air?

This was such a lovely read and an antidote to all the dark, violent crime novels I’ve been reading recently! It’s funny, sweet and has a fab HEA to boot. Pick up a copy ASAP!!

*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: Welcome to Dorley Hall – Alyson Greaves

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Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan Riley never had, until one day he disappears, and Stefan has to adapt to life without him. But, one year later, when he runs into a girl who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He discovers that other boys have disappeared, too, dozens over the years, most of them students of the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, many of them troubled or unruly before their disappearance.

What is happening to these boys? Who are the handful of women on campus who bear a striking resemblance to some of those who went missing? And what is the connection to the mysterious Dorley Hall?

Stefan works hard to get into the Royal College for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.

A closeted trans girl attempts to infiltrate a secret underground forced feminisation programme.

Content note: this story engages with some reasonably dark topics, including but not limited to torture, manipulation, dysphoria, nonconsensual surgery, and kidnapping. While it isn’t intended to be a dark or dystopian story, the perspective characters are carrying a lot of baggage, and the exploration of the premise might be triggering for trans readers.

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Alyson lives in a very small flat in a very large city, and writes fiction with trans themes and characters. Her Twitter is twitter.com/badambulist

My thoughts: I have a lot to say about this book, many questions (which hopefully the  rest of the series will answer) and will need a book club or something to discuss this with.

It is very good, incredibly thought provoking and at times shocking (please check all the trigger warnings before reading). As well as being a clever thriller, it’s a fascinating discussion about gender, misogyny, social norms, and who has the right to carry out justice.

Stefan is looking for his missing friend Mark, including getting into the same university, where he hopes to find answers about what happened. What he finds instead blows his mind. Dorley Hall is not at all what he thought, yet, in a way, it is everything he hoped.

There’s also the residents of the dorms, young women dealing with growing into their own skins, with finding their places in society. The flawed society we live in, where women are judged on their appearance, Aunt Bea, the woman who oversees Dorley Hall has some rather antiquated ideas about feminity and what makes someone feminine.

Honestly it’s a good read, if at times quite challenging and it will definitely leave you with lots of thoughts. But that’s never a bad thing. If you want to talk in detail about it – let me know!

*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 Little Cornish Beach Cafe – Jane Linfoot

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A fresh start among old friends…

Florence May never expected to trade the high life of London for the cosy comfort of a beach hut in her Cornish hometown, but the moment she steps inside she knows it was the best choice she ever made. The fact that it comes with a requirement that she sets up a business on site? A minor setback that’s easily fixed by opening up a surfside outpost of her friend Clemmie’s Little Cornish Kitchen …
where Floss finds herself unexpectedly flourishing.

And when the hotel owner next door sets out to buy the land out from under her? Floss calls on her loyal friends to help her save her little slice of heaven. Because if there’s one thing the community of St Aidan does well, it’s banding together to make the most of every second, whatever life throws at you.

Amazon Paperback

Amazon E book

I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines, and lots of heart.
Writing is fab, because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I live in a cottage up a mountain road in Derbyshire, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos.
Happily, we’re in walking distance of a supermarket. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things French. When I’m not on Facebook, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be
walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

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My thoughts: this was a fun, charming rom com set in Cornwall (my spiritual and ancestral home) where Florence retreats to her childhood home after a break up and a career flop. She’s bought a beach hut in a very desirable spot on the beach.

There’s a new hotel and spa right next door, which the locals are not entirely enraptured by. However there are some very eye catching employees.

As Florence sets up a mini branch of her friend’s bakery on the shore, along with rather wary dog Shadow (he is really not comfortable with the context of the ocean and its moving in and out), her baking and unusual dessert combos get her a huge crowd of fans and closer to hunky metalsmith Kit. Will romance blossom?

This is a perfect summer read, it’s got a great cast of characters, a cute story and the HEA we all need sometimes.

*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: One Girl, One Summer – Isabel Ashdown

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Dark secrets cast long shadows…

On a peaceful hilltop campsite in the heat of summer, a private plane crash-lands. Several are killed, and many more lives are shattered – including those of the Gale family who own the site. For single parent Cathy Gale, her everyday struggles are eclipsed by the tragedy, as her boy Albie is one of the victims. He hangs onto life, while 18-year-old sister Nell, who was meant to be looking after him, is overcome with guilt.

As DS Ali Samson leads the investigation, locals are scandalised to learn that the amnesiac pilot has plans to stay on in the community. As dark secrets come to light, teenager Nell goes into freefall. What is it she’s so desperate to conceal? And exactly who is the Unknown Pilot?

If you loved HOMECOMING by Isabel Ashdown, return to the beautiful coastal town of Highcap, Dorset, a community hiding many secrets.

With several critically acclaimed novels already to her name, Isabel Ashdown first burst onto the thriller scene in 2017 with her Amazon bestseller LITTLE SISTER. She has since seen two of her thrillers shortlisted in the prestigious Dead Good Reader Awards, and her dark family dramas continue to hook readers across the globe.

My thoughts: set in the same Dorset town as Homecoming, we’re concerned with the opposite end of the community. Rather than the up market enclave of the Starlings, we’re with a family that’s been in the town for many years, the Gales run the Golden Rabbit campsite and caravan park, but they’re far from a happy family. 

When a small aeroplane falls out of the sky onto the campsite, it changes everything. The youngest member of the family Albie is injured and the after effects cause family secrets and feuds to surface. 

Another shocking crime is also under investigation by the local police – one that puts the spotlight on Nell Gale. DS Ali Samson (who I really like) is on both cases, and handles things very sensitively, Nell is fragile, the situation with her family and what has happened to her have caused damage and she’s not coping well.

I felt a lot of empathy with the Gale family (and not just because my Nan’s family name was Gale), it can be difficult mixing work and family together, and the uneven way Cathy and Elliot were given their share of responsibilities has caused a lot of tension.

But happiness is in sight, if only they can resolve their differences and come together, perhaps their house guest – the Unknown Pilot – can perhaps help? 

Another clever and compelling read from a terrific writer, this blogathon is really fun, as this series of intelligent crime thrillers is extremely enjoyable and well written.

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