The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?
When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn’t love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.
The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.
Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?
But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?
An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats.
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My thoughts: Julia returns, this time accompanied by her daughter, who’s flown in from Hong Kong to attend her father’s wedding. When the caterer is found frozen to death in the back of his van the next day, Julia’s ex-husband’s new husband (yes, it does get confusing) Christopher is suspect number 1.
But Julia starts investigating, and she finds more and more evidence that points in other directions. Someone is trying to sabotage the catering firm, and there other tangled threads in the dead man’s life that need unravelling before Hayley and her colleague, the rather dim Walter Farmer, can swoop in and slap on the handcuffs.
Another really enjoyable, fun and clever case for Julia Bird and the ever excitable Jake.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner comes a harrowing new thriller: Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.
Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.
She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.
The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats. Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:
When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?
Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…
Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist, began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries. Her novel, The Neighbor, won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers. She has also been honored for her work with animal rescue and at-risk children. An avid hiker, gardener and cribbage player, Lisa lives with her family in New England.
My thoughts: there are some authors who are auto-buys for me (Karin Slaughter, Karen Rose, Louise Candlish) and Lisa Gardner is one of them. I especially love this series because I love Frankie.
Although I do worry about her, Frankie has narrowly avoided death in both previous books and this time she’s working for a serial killer. Oh, Frankie, why?
Pulled into the tragedy of Kaylee Pierson’s life, she’s on her way to a tropical paradise that might just be anything but.
Remote, isolated, no real way to contact the outside world, basically a terrible idea. Although the people staffing the not exactly built retreat are nice, but one of them might be a murderer or a paedophile or in league with the serial killer. But Frankie goes in undercover and soon discovers that Kaylee is not just a killer but a liar, and there is something else going on here.
I really like Frankie, she’s a wonderful character, despite how she sees herself, as a bit of a failure at life. She’s survived plenty of hard knocks and uses her street smarts, ability to read people and quick mouth to get in and out of trouble. This might just be her hardest case yet, the cavalry are too far away, she doesn’t know who to trust and psychopaths can’t be reasoned with.
A corking addition to this series, with all the twists and turns and terrifying moments Lisa Gardner’s known for, I could not put it down and devoured it in one (intense) sitting.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Julia Castleton is a former Times journalist turned activist blogger. She carries the weight of past trauma and struggles to balance the demands of single motherhood with the challenges of her work.
When a man who has approached Julia with a story is found dead, she is drawn into a political and military conspiracy that reaches high into the corridors of power. Facing the battle of her life, unsure who to trust, Julia must fight like never before to protect her son, save herself and expose the conspiracy ranged against her.
Julia Castleton is the creation of an internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed writing duo. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, she takes us into a world that could have been torn from the headlines.
My thoughts: I know nothing about the world of international espionage, politics etc apart from what I’ve read and I’m quite happy with it that way. The protagonist – called Julia Castleton – finds herself embroiled in that world after a doctor and army reservist contacts her with an explosive story, but he’s killed before he can pass anything onto her. At his funeral, a supposed friend hands her a dossier, which she publishes without fact checking it first and then all hell breaks loose.
She’s chased and kidnapped, forced to flee for her life, the police raid her home in the middle of the night, her son is made the subject of a social services investigation. But while the dossier seems to have been dodgy, there’s definitely a story there, and despite knowing how badly it could all go, Julia and her PI friend Joe decide to follow the scant leads.
What they find is much, much bigger than they imagined and they have to go right to the top to get help breaking it, even then it could still be a risk.
Julia is also dealing with the demons of her past, a psychotic break some years before, time on the streets, lost memories and disturbing fragments that invade her dreams. But she wants answers about what happened to her.
I think this could be a really interesting series, though at times it skirts the line of incredulity, and Julia can be a bit frustrating as she prevaricates and abandons her five year old son to her sister’s care for days on end. I think she needs the concept of a work/life balance explained to her.
I really liked Joe, he’s a true friend and always comes through for Julia, as does family lawyer Stone, despite her reluctance to engage with her father. She’s lucky to have people around her, as well as her sister, who really have her back.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into waters off Scotland’s west coast. Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities. Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history. When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
Doug Johnstone is the author of 16 previous novels, most recently The Opposite of Lonely (2023) and The Space Between Us (2023). The Big Chill (2020) was longlisted for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, Black Hearts was shortlisted for the same award. Three of his books, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade, and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club, and has a PhD in nuclear physics.
My thoughts: Sandy and his friends, human and alien are back, but things are not good. The Americans have swept in, built a base and the UK government have just let them. They’re conducting experiments on Lennox, Heather and the Enceladons they’ve managed to capture in the Scottish waters.
After Ava’s trial, she and baby Chloe are brought to this base too, and the experiments intensify, Chloe at the heart of them in some of the most disturbing scenes in the book.
The Enceladons came here as refugees and this is like the government’s moronic “hostile environment” policy on steroids. They are torturing the alien creatures, referring to them as “illegals”, refusing to believe that they’re gentle, friendly creatures who don’t even understand violence.
Obviously the humans who have connected to Sandy, Xander and the other Enceladons are determined to escape and take their tentacled friends with them. They’ve also made some new human friends locally, who will do anything to help, even storm the compound and fight the armed soldiers inside.
There’s lots of quite shocking moments, and it’s a lot darker than The Space Between Us, though there is still hope there, a chance for humanity and the Enceladons to live in harmony, it’s just more complicated and harder.
I don’t know how Doug Johnstone does it, has me howling with laughter at the misadventures of the Skelfs in their books and then has me whispering “no!” at the terrible things that happened here.
Sandy and his kin have such big hearts and are full of love and then there’s us, not trusting and unwilling to believe that anyone, even beings from another world, could be that good and have no ulterior motive.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
The gripping new crime thriller from the bestselling author of Before We Met and Critical Incidents
Robin Lyons is back in her hometown of Birmingham and now a DCI with Force Homicide, working directly under Samir, the man who broke her heart almost twenty years ago.
When a woman is found stabbed to death in a derelict factory and no one comes forward to identify the body, Robin and her team must not only hunt for the murderer, but also solve the mystery of who their victim might be.
As Robin and Samir come under pressure from their superiors, from the media and from far-right nationalists with a dangerous agenda, tensions in Robin’s own family threaten to reach breaking point. And when a cold case from decades ago begins to smoulder and another woman is found dead in similar circumstances, rumours of a serial killer begin to spread.
In order to get to the truth Robin will need to discover where loyalty ends and duty begins. But before she can trust, she is going to have to forgive – and that means grappling with some painful home truths.
About the Author
Lucie Whitehouse was born in Gloucestershire in 1975, read Classics at Oxford University and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of The House at Midnight, the TV Book Club pick The Bed I Made and Before We Met, which was a Richard & Judy Summer Book Club pick and an ITV3 Crime Thriller selection.
@LWhitehouse5
My thoughts: Robin has rejoined the police, but not the Met, she’s working at West Midlands Police under Samir. She’s heading up a team in Force Homicide – and her latest case is not an easy one. A murdered girl found naked and unidentifiable in an old factory popular with the homeless.
Soon the far right have picked up on the fact that, while another team have quickly solved the murder of a Black teenager, this young woman remains both unknown and no one has been arrested. Then another young woman’s body is found, but Robin thinks it might not be the same killer, something is just a bit off.
As the team dig into the case and attempt to identify the first victim, the press are hot on their heels and so is a local far right rabble rouser. Tensions are rising, the bosses are on the war path and Robin is trying to hold everything together.
This second outing for Robin is shocking, gripping and a total thrill ride. Birmingham is in the midst of a knife crime epidemic, things are reaching boiling point and they need to solve this case fast, but it turns out to be much more complicated and far darker than first suspected.
By skipping forward a few months from the events of the first book, we miss out on the teething problems of Robin’s return to work, which allows us to ease into the story and get to know the team after they’ve got used to one another. Skipping over the complicated, messy stuff, getting into the knitty gritty of both the case and Robin’s life, which I really enjoyed. Roll on book three!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Three years ago police officer Georgina Ioannau was murdered, her killers never brought to justice. Now the prime suspects have been shot dead within hours of their return to the UK. Has someone finally taken the law into their own hands?
Seeking out the truth will force Kate Daniels to confront her own past mistakes, and put her career, and her team’s lives, on the line.
The gripping new Kate Daniels thriller about what happens when someone takes the law into their own hands from awardwinning crime writer Mari Hannah.
My thoughts: another utterly gripping and brilliant read from Mari Hannah. Kate and her team are thrust into the closest case to them. Georgina was not just another police officer, she was Kate’s friend. Her death was devastating and since both her children are also police, one that has never gone away.
The DI put in charge of the investigation at the time, Curtis, did a terrible job, possibly intentionally, and no one was ever prosecuted. Now the two biggest suspects, the Bradshaw sons, are back in Newcastle, and then shot dead on the doorstep, their father later killed by a firearms officer.
As Kate attempts to separate herself from the emotions of the case, that firearms officer is in critical condition in hospital, her team are struggling. Putting herself as OIC of reviewing Curtis’ mess and asking Hank to run the new incident – who was the Bradshaw shooter? But gradually it becomes obvious it’s all one case, someone was getting revenge for Georgina – but who?
Digging into her friend’s life and secrets, she realises that despite how close they were, Kate didn’t know Georgina at all. She had secrets, ones she kept from everyone, her friends, her husband, and one of them is the solution to Kate’s questions, and it’s very close to home.
Carmichael comes close to breaking point too, and once again Kate’s relationship with Jo almost cracks under the pressure, it’s Christmas and this case is too hot to wait, so there’s no turkey for any of the MIT this year.
This is an intense and highly tangled case, it could leave some of Kate’s relationships completely ruined and with Bright away, she’s also running the show. Will the pressure finally get to her, pushing herself too hard and spreading herself too thin?
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
The Civil War is over and Charles II, the ‘Merry Monarch’, is revelling in the throne of his murdered father and all the privileges and power that comes with it. Sharing the spoils is his favourite companion, the celebrated beauty, actress Nell Gwyn. Beloved of the English people, Nell has come a long way from selling oranges and a childhood in a brothel, but as her fortunes have turned, her sister Rose has taken a different path. Marriage to a feckless highwayman has left Rose in the grim Marshalsea prison and now she needs her sister’s mercy to help get her out. But Nell needs Rose too. A plot to steal the Crown Jewels has gone tragically wrong, and Nell’s future with her protector King is at risk. If Rose can’t solve the riddle of the jewels both Gwyn sisters will head straight to the Tower.
Present Day
Librarian and history enthusiast Jess Yates has hit rock bottom. With her ex behind bars for fraud, Jess needs to lay low – easier said than done with a celebrity sister. But Tavy has her uses. Her latest TV project involves renovating Fortune Hall, and she needs a house sitter while she’s jetting around the world. The opportunity is too good to miss, especially when Jess discovers that Fortune Hall has links to the infamous Nell Gwyn.
Slowly the house begins to reveal its mysteries, and secrets that have laid buried for centuries can no longer be ignored. Jess hears echoes from a tragic past and as she struggles to understand her sister, Jess feels ever closer to Rose Gwyn, the sister forgotten by history but who had the fate of her family in her hands.
Bestselling author Nicola Cornick is back with a captivating, gripping, unforgettable tale of treachery and treason, love and loyalty, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Elena Collins and Christina Courtenay.
Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural, and focus on women from the footnotes of history. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also gives writing and history talks, works as a consultant for TV and radio, and is a trustee of the Wantage Literary Festival and the Friends of Lydiard Park.
My thoughts: This is my sort of historical fiction, fleshing out the stories of women, real ones and fictional ones, giving them a voice and a life that feels real and rich.
Rose Gwyn was a real person, sister of the famous Nell – mistress of Charles II and supposedly the reason women were finally allowed to act on stage. But Rose is overshadowed by her sister, both in records and in her life. Nell was beautiful and has gone down in history. Rose didn’t want the limelight and chose a different path.
Nicola Cornick has given Rose her own story, of theft and an unhappy marriage, then royal pardon and joy in her second marriage with Sir Guy Forster. A country life and probably trips to London for the theatre and to see Nell. It might seem like a quiet one, but I can imagine it was happy.
Rose’s story is revealed by Jess, herself the sister of a celebrity, in reality star Tavy, and with a rotter of a partner, jailed for fraud. She’s down on her luck and staying in her sister’s house, one that might have a link to the Gwyn sisters, if she can find it. A librarian by training, she’s the perfect person to rummage through the records and find out which of the Gwyn girls lived in Becote House. She also meets the charming Ethan Forster, whose family once owned the house, could he be a descendant of Rose and Guy?
With two delightful romances, intrigue, scandal and wonderful characters brought vividly to life, this is a treat 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.
Historical fiction meets crime fiction in The Djinn’s Apple, an award-winning YA murder mystery set in the Abbasid period—the golden age of Baghdad.
A ruthless murder. A magical herb. A mysterious manuscript.
When Nardeen’s home is stormed by angry men frantically in search of something—or someone—she is the only one who manages to escape. And after the rest of her family is left behind and murdered, Nardeen sets out on an unyielding mission to bring her family’s killers to justice, regardless of the cost…
Full of mystery and mayhem, The Djinn’s Apple is perfect for fans of Arabian Nights, City of Brass, and The Wrath and the Dawn.
Djamila Morani is an Algerian novelist and an Arabic language professor. Her first novel, released in 2015 and titled Taj el-Khatiaa, is set in the Abbasid period (like The Djinn’s Apple), but in Kazakh- stan. All of her works are fast-paced historical fiction pieces. She is yet to have a full-length work translated into English. Djamila lives in Relizane, in the west of Algeria.
You can find Djamila on Twitter @DjamilaMorani and Insta @morani_djamila
You can find Sawad on Twitter @sawadhussain and Insta @sawad18
My thoughts: this was a really sad and moving story of love and revenge, scholarship and the dangers of too much knowledge.
Nardeen’s family are brutally murdered, she swears she will avenge them. Taken in by the doctor Muallim Ishaq, she trains to be a doctor in the Bimaristan (hospital) in Baghdad, then a shining example of hygiene and medicine.
This brings her into contact with the man she believes is behind her family’s deaths. But her mentor is hiding secrets. When she learns what the Djinn’s Apple is and how far some will go to get it, she starts to understand exactly what her father, also a doctor, was caught up in.
A clever and intense, enjoyable mystery with a smart and rather brilliant young woman as its protagonist. A glimpse into a past much of the world is rather ignorant about.
The historical notes at the end provide context and firmly plant Nardeen in the Baghdad of its past, when it was a shining example of multi-cultural life and education, bringing it into the present and to life once more. A delight.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.
Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk – sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas – who live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon and fathomfolk princess – is exiled to the city, under Mira’s watch. When extremists sabotage a city festival, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
About the Author
Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born Chinese-diaspora author who ‘writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady, but preferably all three at once.’ Eliza’s work has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy, and her non-fiction has appeared on Tor.com. She lives in the North of England with her partner and young child. Fathomfolk is her first novel. @elizawchan
My thoughts: I rarely comment on book covers, because what’s inside is the important but this is a gorgeous cover. I really love it.
What’s inside is a clever, thought provoking, enjoyable story about colonialism, sacrifice, striving to build a better world and love.
In Tiankawi, a South Asian and South East Asian inspired world, humans and fathomfolk – beings who can live both underwater and on land, with hybrid bodies of sea creatures like mermaids, manatees, octopus, kelpie, seal, siren, try to survive alongside each other.
There’s a constant struggle between the ruling human class and the fathomfolk, living in shanty towns, many refugees from destroyed cities and towns further afield, or from civil war. The border guards, captained by half-siren Mira attempt to keep order, and protect the citizenry from arrest by the human city guard.
A group of fathomfolk, the Drawbacks, are agitating for reform, but the violent methods they deploy leave destruction of life and homes that threaten the fragile peace.
A manipulative seawitch plays both sides, using her skills at shape-shifting to keep her place in human society, while making bargains with the fathomfolk.
Kai, a sea dragon and the only folk on the council attempts to balance things more fairly, but he’s struggling to get humans onside. It’s all a powder keg primed to explode.
A rip roaring adventure follows both on the fragile city and in its depths, as both humans and folk struggle to belong and be part of this complex and conflicted world. The characters are well drawn and their internal lives reflect the turmoil around them, their struggles and the secrets they’re all keeping.
The first in what I can only imagine will be a gripping and intelligent series, it’s so far one of the best books I’ve read this year.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
“One must be careful practising deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.”
The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance.
Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.
The long fingers of the Guild reach everywhere, and one overly ambitious thief is all it takes to spark a chain of events that will haunt the world of Baelon for many years to come.
Six Moons, Seven Gods is book one in The Legends of Baelon.
Award-winning author Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects.
Praise: “A fascinatingly detailed and murder-fueled adventure in a violent fantasy setting.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In Robert A. Walker’s Six Moons, Seven Gods, loyalty and treachery entwine, friendships are tested, and dangerous secrets are held close to the heart… a brilliant, compelling narrative that hooks the reader from start to finish.” — Literary Titan 5-star Review
“…an exceptionally rewarding fantasy. There are twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, unable to stop reading.” — Ronél Steyn for Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars
SIX MOONS, SEVEN GODS EXCERPT
Sibil sat on a bed in a servant’s quarters, her head spinning. Had it not been for previous visits to the palace with Princess Lewen, she would not have known where she was. The steward had escorted her briskly to the room some time ago, leaving her to entertain herself. There seemed no end to the mystery surrounding her mother. Supposed premonitions of death had been unnerving enough, but now… an audience with the king? At his request! It was surreal, and Sibil’s wildest conjectures did not begin to explain it. Her attempt to seize control of her own life seemed waylaid once again. She was imagining herself a bit of flotsam from a shipwreck, at the mercy of the ocean’s currents, when the steward returned, shutting the door angrily behind himself. “Where is my mother?” she asked as he approached. “With the king.” Without warning, the steward sat so close to her their thighs touched. “I should like to see her.” Sibil started to rise. “In due time.” The steward caught her arm and pulled her back to the bed. “What are you doing?” “If your mother were more forthcoming, you would not be so inconvenienced.” “How do you mean?” Sibil’s eyes darted toward the door. “The woman’s hiding something. Perhaps you’d like to tell me what that is.” “My mother has nothing to hide from the king!” “I could be convinced of that, I suppose.” The steward loosened his hold and placed a palm against Sibil’s cheek. “There are many ways for you to prove your loyalty to the throne.” His hand brushed her breast as he withdrew it. “Are you prepared to do so?” Before Sibil could respond, he leaned in, his lips seeking hers. Sibil pushed him away, struggling to stand. “How dare you!” “Need I remind you where you are?” The steward rose, positioning himself between her and the door. “Or who you’re talking to?” “I mean no disrespect, m’lord, but if you —“ “Take off your blouse.” “What?!” “Like mother, like daughter. Take off your blouse and let us see what you are hiding there.” “I’ll do no such thing,” said Sibil breathlessly. “And if you lay another hand on me—“ The steward grasped her sleeve. Sibil twisted violently away, her blouse ripping at the shoulder seam. The steward grinned. “You see? One way or the other!” He started to laugh, sobering quickly at the sight of the dagger Sibil produced. “Put that away before you hurt yourself.” “Take me to my mother!” Sibil waved the dagger at him. “Did I not warn you about making demands?” The steward lashed out, recoiling as Sibil’s blade pricked his arm. He swore loudly as he inspected the spot of crimson staining his white blouse. “You’ll not soon forget what I’m going to do to you.” “Touch me and I’ll kill you!” Sibil lurched past the steward and onto the bed, clambering quickly over it, but he intercepted her before she could reach the door. He kicked a stool separating them toward her. Sibil grabbed it and flung it back at him. The stool sailed past the steward’s head and crashed against the door. “Make all the noise you want,” the steward said. “No one cares!”
What advice would you give budding writers?
Three pieces of advice: first, writing’s a journey. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on your passion and the here and now. Write, write, write, and enjoy the travelling, one step at a time.
Had I known early on what it would take to be published, and all the work involved in getting one’s book into the hands of readers, I might never have finished my first novel, let alone started it. I was so naïve to think that–you know–if you write something worthwhile, someone’s going to want to publish it and people will then read it. Simple, right? The truth, of course, is so much more complex and challenging, regardless of whether you are trying to secure the representation of a traditional publishing firm, or you have decided to self-publish. Unless your intended audience is limited to friends and family, finishing your novel (quite the accomplishment in and of itself) is only half the battle. So my advice is to take it slowly and enjoy the journey—don’t peek too soon or too closely behind the publishing world’s thick curtain lest that cause you to turn back. Tackled one issue at a time, none of it as overwhelming or intimidating as the big picture first appears; there’s lots of support out there, and if you persevere, all those little challenges just make reaching your destination that much more rewarding. Carry on!
My second piece of advice is to listen to your heart while you are writing. Mine will generally tell me when I’m on the right track, and when I’ve gotten lost. The characters and scenes that I have been most engaged with during the creative process typically turn out to be those the reader also finds most entertaining. So now, when I find myself slogging through some piece that I don’t find particularly exciting or enjoyable to write, I ask myself: why is that? Am I asking the reader to suffer with me? Is there not something I can do to the storyline or character to make writing this more entertaining?
Lastly, I strongly suggest that you read your work aloud and slowly, either to yourself or to an interested listener. You’ll be surprised at the number of errors and opportunities that expose themselves. This advice was given me by my father, a professional editor by trade, and I have benefited from it ever since.
My thoughts: This was a complex and layered fantasy, with some fascinating characters and dastardly villains. The Takers Guild wants to change the monarchs of two countries, but their assassins have all failed so far, thanks to the strange visions of one woman. Her daughter was the late princess’ friend and the king brings both women into the castle to keep them safe, but also in the hope that any future visions will keep him safe.
The King’s soldiers search for a killer or killers in the capital, the body count is rising and it turns out that a familiar face may have some hand in it. A secret promise to the princess and queen has kept a former guardsman on his path, one none of his former colleagues were aware of.
As all of the different storylines and characters are brought together, revenge will be served, things will change, criminals will be charged and the war might just be averted.
Clever and enjoyable, this sets up what will hopefully be a fascinating and interesting series.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 