The Isle of Wight has always felt like a safe place to live for keen dog-walker and reluctant sleuth Susan. But after being involved in the investigation of a troubling crime near her old home, Susan decides to move to the peaceful village of Bishopstone. Susan loves the sense of community and immediately throws herself into village life, volunteering at the local primary school and joining the choir of St Jude’s. So, when there is an altercation at the meeting of the choir committee, followed by a shocking accident involving head teacher Lawrence, Susan is dismayed to realise her powers of deduction may be needed again. There is a dangerous criminal hiding in plain sight and with the police reluctant to help, Susan must put together the pieces of the fiendish puzzle to flush out a killer before they strike again. A brand new cosy mystery from the author of the bestselling The House Party. Perfect for fans of Frances Evesham, Faith Martin and LJ Ross.
Mary Grand writes gripping, page-turning suspense novels, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight.
My thoughts: a man falls from the church roof, the keys in his pocket, the doors locked. A tragic accident or murder?
Lawrence was the local school’s headmaster, a popular local figure and head of the church’s choir committee. He and his wife Hazel have lived in the village for years. While some of his recent decisions had caused some upset, was it enough to drive someone to kill him?
Susan doesn’t think so, but Hazel asks her to dig into the events and people around them to see if anyone, the choir director, his deputy head, the vicar, had it in for him. Lots of people seem to have secrets of their own, and Susan has to reveal them to see if a murderer is hidden in the village.
Clever and entertaining, this is an enjoyable whodunnit with a nice little twist in the tale.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
When local crime reporter Emma Fletcher is asked to help identify her friend’s blackmailer, she discovers a link to the recent death of a teacher at Allensbury Dance and Drama School. Meanwhile, a police investigation is uncovering some dark secrets, and it is clear that someone is seeking revenge for past wrongs. As Emma’s list of suspects continues to grow, the discovery of a second body puts her in the killer’s sights. Warned off the investigation by the police for her own safety, Emma decides the best way to save herself is to find the culprit first. With the help of fellow news reporter Dan Sullivan, Emma must work out who is targeting Allensbury Dance and Drama School before the killer strikes again.
LM Milford is a crime fiction author who writes the Allensbury mysteries, covering the exploits of local newspaper reporter Dan Sullivan. A former newspaper journalist, Lynne’s experience has influenced her work, although her stories were never as exciting as Dan’s. Lynne was born and brought up in the north-east of England, but now lives in Kent with her husband and far too many books. She loves cooking, baking and holidays in Spain. She’s partial to a good red wine and plates of cheese.
My thoughts: ballet school has never been so dangerous. Blackmail, murder, and secrets lurk in the halls of Allensbury Dance and Drama School.
Journalist Emma is digging into the situation and turning up some dark and worrying things buried beneath the elegant facade of ballet. With the help of colleague Dan, she’s determined to find the truth.
A smart and enjoyable crime novel, with lots of twists and some pretty unpleasant people, they can’t all be suspects but it’s hard to parse the truth from the lies.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Argentina. 1998. Human remains are found on a beach on the outskirts of Buenos Aires – a gruesome echo of when the tide brought home dozens of mutilated bodies thrown from planes during Argentina’s Dirty War. Flights of death, with passengers known as The Disappeared. International Tribune reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of the missing, desperate to keep their memory alive, when the body turns up. His investigations with his companion, freelance photographer Paloma Glenn, have barely started when Argentina’s simmering financial crisis explodes around them. As the fabric of society starts to disintegrate and Argentine cities burn around them, Jonny and Paloma are suddenly thrust centre stage, fighting to secure both their jobs and their livelihoods. But Jonny is also fighting something else, an echo from his own past that he’ll never shake, and as it catches up with him and Paloma, he must make choices that will endanger everything he knows…
Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog …
Her debut thriller The Source is currently in production with Lime Pictures, and was a Capital Crime Book Club pick and a number one bestseller on Kindle. The Shot (2022) and Dirt (2023) followed, with multiple award longlistings, including the CWA Daggers. Sarah currently works for Channel 4 News and lives in London.
My thoughts: I read an article about the Disappeared not that long ago, so I was really intrigued to read this book, Death Flight, which follows an investigation into the Argentinian government’s dark past and the Dirty War against its own people.
Sarah Sultoon draws on her long experience as a journalist to create a suspenseful, intelligent and gripping thriller.
Johnny Murphy is the International Tribune’s man on the ground in South America, as long as he gets his stories in fast and before his opposition. However as he, and photographer Paloma, dig deeper into the Disappeared and the mothers and grandmothers who gather to protest the ongoing silence around their children, he stops reporting on the financial crisis and ends up in trouble.
Reporting to Allen in DC, he goes off with Paloma to investigate further but both women have secrets and as Johnny continues on his search for the truth, he is drawn into dangerous waters by the mysterious Paloma and Allen’s own agenda.
This twists and turns, taking the reader into the dark heart of Argentina and the terrible things carried out by the military on the government’s orders.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour,but all opinions remain my own.
Maggie and Sam take a break from the murder and mayhem of Bishops Well and embark on a relaxing mid-winter cruise across the northern seas. The brochure promises smooth sailing, good food and dazzling entertainment. Sam is hoping to sprinkle the mix with romance. But nothing goes to plan. Maggie runs into an old lover, the mesmerising Benedict Rawbotham, who goes out of his way to sweep her off her feet. Sam is left seething with jealousy. A mayday signal sent by a fishing boat forces the cruise liner off course. But there is something fishy about the rescued crew and Maggie insists that two young women have died on that boat. Alas, no one believes her. Soon one of the alleged fishermen is also dead and so is one of the cruise passengers. Cordelia Conti Lang, nicknamed the Bitcoin Queen, with links to London’s criminal underworld, is found in her cabin, stabbed to death. In pursuit of the killer, Maggie hurtles from one disaster to another and Sam begins to fear for her life. Has he taken her on a cruise to hell?
Although she writes in a wide range of genres, Anna Legat is best known for her DI Gillian Marsh detective series and The Shires, her cosy murder mysteries. Anna is also the author of the historical thriller, Buried in the Past. She lives near Bath.
My thoughts: another cracking case for the Bishops Well duo of Maggie and Sam. At least, Maggie is keen to investigate and all Sam wants to do is declare his love for her, and it’s a winter cruise to St Petersburg, not the village this time.
I went in April and it was cold then, I can’t imagine how unpleasant it must be in December, beautiful yes, but horribly cold. Sam would rather have gone to the Caribbean, but Maggie has her heart set on this one. Unfortunately there’s a murderer on board.
Maggie herself almost becomes a victim after being taking hostage, except that her kidnapper is a drug runner, not a killer, except in self defense, but it throws the other murderer a clever defense. If it isn’t the bewildered Latvian in Maggie’s cabin, then who could it be?
The victim isn’t a very nice or popular person, widow of a gangster, Bitcoin millionaire, even her own son isn’t keen. And it seems there’s a few people on board with reasons to want her dead. Maggie struggles to make sense of it all. Was it the son? His girlfriend? The ship’s security chief? It’s all a bit confusing, and she seems to be losing time and it’s a bit foggy.
Sam is exasperated as ever, Maggie on a ship is almost more chaos than Maggie at home, and he can’t seem to find the right moment to tell her how he feels.
Tremendously fun and very tangled, takes the amateur sleuths a while to figure it all out, and put the pieces together, all while exploring wintry Europe from sea.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
When a neighbour from hell comes to a sticky end, a plucky cop refuses to accept the obvious. Miles Kenworth loves to play his rock music at a deafening volume. The other residents of his apartment block are not so keen.One day, after hearing a commotion, Miles’ next-door neighbour discovers his body lying in a pool of blood. Standing next to the corpse is Jake, the man who lives upstairs. It should be an open and shut case for DS Sunita Roy. But with Jake vehemently protesting his innocence, she decides to dig deeper.Most of the residents wanted Miles shut up for good. But was it really Jake who flipped, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
SEAT 97 is his fifth novel to be published by The Book Folks, an independent London publisher specialising in crime fiction. The previous four books were all part of Tony’s Midlands series which feature Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.
The most recent book in this series, Out For Revenge (Book 4), was published in October 2022. It concerns notorious gangland boss Tadeusz Filipowski – a man with numerous enemies who plans to expand his Midlands drug empire on his release from jail. Among his detractors is a corrupt detective who has in the past helped the drug baron keep one step ahead of the law. When Filipowski is found dead, it presents DS Sunita Roy from Heart of England Police with a tough case to crack. For so many had a grudge against the dead man that she is overwhelmed by suspects. She could normally count on the full support of her boss, DCI Gavin Roscoe, in her investigation into the criminal life of Filipowski. But he has been tasked with an equally crucial investigation – gathering enough evidence against the corrupt detective to bring him to justice. Eventually, it becomes clear the two inquiries are inextricably linked. But, as the two detectives pursue events, they realise someone has been plotting a brutal revenge. A revenge that threatens to put the lives of one of the detectives in great peril.
The previous novel, Murder Of A Doctor (Book 3), was released in May 2022. It was the third mystery tale in the series. This book concerns a well-respected family doctor who sets off on a morning run and is later discovered dead in woods near his home in Warwickshire. Ambitious young detective DS Roy is determined to solve the case. But the only clues are an expensive necklace and a bus ticket, andthere are many suspects.
Murder On Oxford Lane (Book 1) and The Crossbow Stalker (Book 2) were published in the spring of 2022. Murder On Oxford Lane is about the disappearance of a property tycoon from a sleepy Warwickshire village. Middle-aged DCI Roscoe and his sergeant, DS Roy, are confronted by suspicious deaths as they struggle to uncover what has happened to the businessman.
The Crossbow Stalker concerns a man being targeted in a hate campaign who begs police for help.Then he is shot dead with a crossbow bolt and a handkerchief embroidered with the letter C found stuffed in his mouth. The detectives face an uphill battle to catch the killer.
Tony is currently working on a fifth book in the Midlands series which concerns a man from a wealthy family found dead in his flat after a row with neighbours over his loud music. Tony decided to set this string of novels in Warwickshire and Worcestershire after spending many happy years working as a newspaper reporter in Worcester.He first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he and a friend produced a magazine called the Globe at their junior school in Sevenoaks, Kent. When he reached his teenage years,growing up in Tunbridge Wells, his local vicar staged one of his plays about Naboth’s Vineyard.
Tony was named student journalist of the year in 1971 in a competition run by Time-Life magazine and went onto become a national newspaper journalist, mainly working for the Sunday People in both its newsroom and investigations department. His very first book to be published, the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway, was released in December 2018. It concerns a Kent couple who harbour a stowaway and then battle to clear his name when he is charged with murder.
Then, in March 2020, the spy novel The Lazarus Charter was released. It involves foreign agents operating in the UK. The book has kindly been endorsed by Marina Litvinenko, widow of themurdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, and by Stan and Caroline Sturgess, parents of the innocent mother-of-three poisoned with novichok in Salisbury in 2018.Tony, who has written several other novels which are as yet unpublished, has five grown-up children. He is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin.
My thoughts: We’ve probably all had nuisance neighbours who play their tvs, or in this case, music too loud. However I’ve never gone storming round with a cricket bat in hand to sort it out. The neighbour who does in the opening of this book, definitely regrets it when he finds the nuisance downstairs dead in his flat with an axe in his head.
But he’s not the killer, and the murder case is much more complicated than it might seem, it takes in another murder (or possibly two), blackmail, secrets and a nasty attempt to steal a fortune.
Luckily the team under the leadership of DCI Roscoe, and especially clever DS Sunita Roy, don’t go for the obvious and keep digging, though their boss might not be impressed by the cost of this investigation as it includes a trip to Spain to get some very useful answers.
A clever and knotty case with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re celebrating the release of Awoke this week with a book tour! Read on for more details!
Awoke (The Unseen War Book 1)
Publication Date: February 1, 2024
Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy
Grim Reaper Forbidden Romance Black Bad-A%$ FMC Black, Scottish MMC Dystopian World Building Malcontent Spirits Anime Vibes
When the Veil between the Living and the Dead Shifts…
Turning eighteen is more than just a rite of passage for Katya Stevens; it’s a chilling awakening. Suddenly thrust into a world she’d believed was a mere figment of childhood nightmares, she finds herself where the dead refuse to rest, and the balance of life teeters perilously.
Her once-hidden ability to see the departed reveals not only the world’s deadly mysteries but also the depths of her soul. Gregor, an enigmatic Grim Reaper, isn’t just a harbinger of death but a symbol of the battling forces at play—especially The Want, spirits distorted by their defiance against the natural transition to the beyond.
But Katya’s destiny is larger than she ever imagined. A beacon in legends, she stands between hope and havoc. As she delves deeper into the ethereal realm of Ager, she confronts not just the malevolent Wanters but the shadows of her own heart and the complexities of early adulthood.
If the spiritual battles of ‘Bleach’ and the transformative journeys of ‘Sailor Moon’ captivated you, and if you’ve been enthralled by novels like ‘City of Bones’, ‘Daughter of Smoke and Bone’, and the dark supernatural realms of ‘Angelfall’, then ‘Awoke’ is your next adventure. Explore a universe where Grim Reapers serve as the staunch defenders against malevolent spirits, and where a profound forbidden romance unfolds between a mortal with unparalleled power and a Reaper. ‘Awoke’ weaves a tale inspired by the depth and drama of beloved fantasy tales and the intricate story lines of notable anime series, promising a world where every decision echoes with universe-altering consequences.
K.T. Conte, a devotee of the written word and all things wild and fascinating, first discovered her passion for books at the tender age of two. Even then, as an avid reader, her journey to becoming an author was already on the horizon. An African-American author with a flair for breathing life into stories, K.T. holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a law degree from Suffolk University Law School.
While she is a licensed and practicing attorney, K.T.’s first love has always remained books. The enchanting dance of words across a page and the powerful narratives they weave continues to captivate and inspire her every day. Over the years, she has shared her Massachusetts home with a delightful blend of characters – the enchanting specters in the closet, her loving husband Everett, a couple of mischievous building fairies, and her beloved daughter, Ella.
My thoughts: even before her powers kick in and the world goes a bit weird, Katya is a pretty kickass person, she stands up for her friends and tries to be on the side of right.
Once she starts seeing the recently departed, yes it all gets a bit strange, but she’s still herself and discovers she can use those new powers to change things. She must wrestle not only with good and evil but also with her own life and the tumult of being a young person today.
Really interesting, fun, anime inspired fantasy that makes you think but also keeps you entertained.
A Cuban American woman searches for her long-lost mother and fights to restore a beautiful but crumbling Art Deco home in the heart of Havana in this moving, immersive new mystery, perfect for fans of Of Women and Salt.
In 2019, newly widowed baker Mercedes Spivey flies from Miami to her native Cuba to care for her ailing paternal grandmother. Mercedes’s life has been shaped by loss, beginning with the mysterious unsolved disappearance of her mother when Mercedes was a little girl. Returning to Cuba revives Mercedes’s hopes of finding her mother as she attempts to piece together the few scraps of information she has. Could her mother still be alive?
33 years earlier, an American college student with endless political optimism falls deliriously in love with a handsome Cuban soldier while on a spontaneous visit to the island. She decides to stay permanently but soon discovers that nothing is as it seems in Havana. The two women’s stories proceed in parallel as Mercedes gets closer to discovering the truth about her mother, uncovering shocking family secrets in the process . . .
Writer, translator and college professor, Teresa Dovalpage is a Cuban transplant firmly rooted in New Mexico. She is the author of twelve novels, among them the Havana Mystery series, three short story collections and four theater plays. She lives with her husband, one dog and too many barn cats.
My thoughts: This was a really interesting and moving story about family secrets and finding the truth of who you are and where you come from.
Mercedes travels back to Cuba, where she grew up, to see her grandmother, who raised her after her mother disappeared and her father died. There has always been questions about what happened to her parents but her grandmother never answered them before.
This time she is determined to get her answers, the family home is falling apart and her grandmother isn’t doing well. She’s invited her friend along for the trip and she’s going to track down her extended family to see what they know too.
As the story unravels, we learn not only what Mercedes finds, but also the story of American Sarah Lee, who falls in love with Cuba and Joaquin, but starts to see through the socialist paradise she’s supposedly living in. Mercedes learns some hard, sad truths, and struggles with them. Ultimately her quest for the answers she’s needed her whole life is redemptive and bittersweet. A moving, intelligently written story.
*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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Where there’s a body in Malvern End, there are secrets to be uncovered…
Jude Gray has worked hard to bring a steady equilibrium to life on Malvern Farm and things are going well.The only fly in the ointment is the foul addition of a new face in the village: staunch townie and chauvinistic sleaze, Des Smith. Jude has nothing but sympathy for his caring, patient wife, Loretta, who has become a regular visitor to the farm for a cup of tea and a chat. But things take a turn for the worse when a hit and run outside The Lamb brings death once again to the village. Is it an accident or is something more sinister afoot?
Perhaps the answer lies in the stranger with red trainers who’s been seen wandering through the village and through Jude’s fields at night. Following the clues, Jude desperately hopes she will find the right answers because the murderer being someone she knows is unfathomable…
Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children and is now writing a new cosy crime series set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up. Boldwood will publish the first title, Murder at Malvern Farm, in August 2023.
My thoughts: This might only be book two, but I really like this series and the characters of Jude and her friends and family. Sebbie, her nephew, is delightful and very cheeky. Noah, the hunky shepherd continues to be a quiet, comfortable presence in the pink house. Even her sister, who I didn’t love so much before, is growing on me. And Jude’s detective friend Biddie is great, too. Plus, there are puppies and lambs, and if I wasn’t quite so allergic to the countryside, I’d want to move here. Minus the murders, obviously.
This time it all ends very close to home as first new friend Loretta’s rather horrible husband is killed and as the police investigate, Lucy gets arrested as a suspect. But why would she kill Des? There are plenty of other people who didn’t like him.
As Jude tries to connect the dots and save her sister from being charged for a crime she can’t have committed, things take some twists and turns, but Jude’s family is always her priority.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
A daring CIA operation threatens chaos in the Kremlin.
But can Langley trust the Russian at its centre?
CIA operatives Sia and Max enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin’s moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich. Max’s family business in Mexico – a CIA front since the 1960s – is a farm that breeds high-end racehorses. They pose as a couple, and their targets are Vadim, Putin’s private banker, and his wife Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer herself…
My thoughts: I’ve been getting into spy novels recently (Mick Herron’s books started it) and I have been fascinated by Russia since I studied it and went there (almost twenty years ago, I can’t imagine what it’s like now) during my A Levels, so this was perfect.
Written by a former CIA operative, so I imagine he knows his stuff, this is a clever, twisting plot, full of unreliable figures, dodgy dealings and double agents.
Lawyer Sia works for a somewhat suspect firm in London, laundering suspect money into off shore accounts and shell corporations for wealthy clients – including Russia. She’s also a CIA operative, keeping them informed of her firm’s clients. Now she’s being asked to go into the field to bring a potentially useful Russian woman over to the CIA.
She’s partnered up with Mexican horse breeder, and legacy CIA asset, Max, as the target’s obnoxious banker husband is apparently into horses. Anna, who is working for the Russian intelligence agency, but comes from a formerly influential family, and has married into another. She’s deeply unhappy, and Sia sees an opening.
Sia and Max’s boss, Artemis, is pretty unscrupulous and determined to get an asset, like Anna, close to the heart of things, even if her father’s influence has waned. She tells them to do whatever they need to, she has in the past.
I was utterly hooked from the off, when Artemis wakes up naked and without much memory of the night before and then beats up the man who tries to blackmail her. Who is this woman? Then she puts this risky op together with two people who aren’t exactly trained for it, madness. And so, so good.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?
Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.
Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.
So the two decide to make a bet: they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.
But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?
My thoughts: Like Alice, I studied philosophy at A Level, but unlike her, I abandoned it for my love of books. Now she’s putting her belief in love to the test, having made a bet with old friend Luke, a biologist who believes love is merely biology.
As the two get closer and attempt to win their bet, Alice rebuilds her life after a disastrous break up that’s sent her home to the northeast, working in a Chinese restaurant and making new friends. She’s also hoping to go back to uni and finish her philosophy degree.
As Alice’s life starts to get better, and she reconnects with her home town and community, she starts to find purpose and happiness in the little things (bingo, coffee at soft play with her friend) and the big ones (arguing with Luke, saving the community centre) and slowly falling in love.
A bittersweet rom com about going home, finding yourself and realising that love shouldn’t hurt (literally and metaphorically).
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 