Category: reviews

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Fayne – Ann-Marie MacDonald

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‘I knew from a very young age that I was wrong in the world. And the idea of looking through the eyes of somebody who’s born with an intersex trait has been quite compelling to me for a very long time. It’s not an exotic quality. That’s why I’ve decided not to treat it as a “spoiler”. That’s just who Charlotte is, that’s her body. That’s normal. It’s the world that has a problem and is going to make it a problem for her’ ANN-MARIE MACDONALD

In the late nineteenth century, Charlotte Bell is growing up at Fayne, a vast and lonely estate straddling the border between England and Scotland, where she has been kept from the world by her adoring father, Lord Henry Bell, owing to a mysterious ‘condition’.

Charlotte, strong and insatiably curious, revels in the moorlands, and has learned the treacherous and healing ways of the bog from the old hired man, Byrn, whose own origins are shrouded in mystery. Her idyllic existence is shadowed by the magnificent portrait on the landing in Fayne House which depicts her mother, a beautiful Irish-American heiress, holding Charlotte’s brother, Charles Bell. Charlotte has grown up with the knowledge that her mother died in giving birth to her, and that her older brother, Charles, the long-awaited heir, died at the age of two. When Charlotte’s appetite for learning threatens to exceed the bounds of the estate, her father breaks with tradition and hires a tutor to teach his daughter ‘as you would my son, had I one’.

But when Charlotte and her tutor’s explorations of the bog turn up an unexpected artefact, her father announces he has arranged for her to be cured of her condition, and her world is upended. Charlotte’s passion for knowledge and adventure will take her to the bottom of family secrets and to the heart of her own identity.

In Fayne we meet an irresistible young queer character whose curiosity and joy collide with the frustratingly arbitrary gender dichotomies in the world. Even with all her gifts – intelligence, wit and strength of character – can Charlotte overcome the violently enforced boundaries of society to claim her own place in the world?

©️ Lora McDonald

ANN-MARIE MACDONALD is a novelist, playwright, actor, and broadcast host. She was born in the former West Germany. After graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal, she moved to Toronto where she distinguished herself as an actor and playwright. Her first play won the Governor General’s Award, the Chalmers Award and the Canadian Authors’ Association Award. In 1996, her first novel Fall on Your Knees became an international bestseller, was translated into nineteen languages and sold three million copies. It won the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Fiction, the People’s Choice Award and the Libris Award. In 2002, it became an Oprah’s Book Club title. In 2003, The Way the Crow Flies appeared, and in 2014, Adult Onset, both of which also enjoyed immense international success. In 2019 Ann-Marie MacDonald was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for her contribution to the arts and her LGBTQ2S+ activism. She is married to theatre director, Alisa Palmer, with whom she has two children.

My thoughts: I adore Charlotte, she’s incredibly clever, brave and longs to be a doctor at a time when being female is something of an impediment to that. Except Charlotte isn’t female or male – she’s intersex. And this is her story. But it’s also the story of Charlotte’s mother, Lady Marie “Mae” Bell, originally from Boston, Massachusetts. She marries Lord Henry Bell, Baron DC de Fayne, after meeting him in Rome.

They return, first to Edinburgh, where Henry’s sister the Honorable Clarissa, lives in the family’s town house, and then to Fayne, a wilderness of bog and fen. Where Charlotte grows up, wild and curious.

The story moves back and forth between Charlotte and Mae, as we learn more about the Bells and Fayne. There are so many secrets and lies that Charlotte will have to uncover as she ages and grows up. The absence of her mother, the death of her brother Charles, why they’re so cut off at Fayne and she doesn’t have any playmates and only a handful of servants remain.

This isn’t a short book, it’s a hefty tome, but it needs to be as there’s so many layers to the story of this family and especially Charlotte. I felt for her, I was delighted by the later chapters, as Charlotte asserts herself and finds happiness. The lonely grief of the earlier sections was well rewarded. Ghastly aunt Clarissa, so bitter and so conniving, what a shame she wasn’t the Baron. And Mae, oh poor, sweet Mae. Her story is heartbreaking. Have tissues handy, like many 19th Century women, fate was not kind to her.

This is an incredible book, powerful, moving and heartening. My mum used to be a midwife and has delivered intersex babies, the decisions families have to make at what should be a joyous time, can be very tough. Depending on their baby’s situation. As we know now, gender isn’t one thing or another, it can be a lot more complex than that and so is biological sex. I could write whole essays on the various in-between states – from the Disputed County of Fayne itself, to Charlotte, something for a new generation of literature students. I imagine this will be a future classic.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all

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Blog Tour: The Traitor – Ava Glass

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An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase inside his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know an assassination when they see one, and such an obvious murder can mean only one thing: Someone is sending a message.

As she digs into his past, Emma discovers that the unfortunate spy had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London. He’d become obsessed with the idea that the two were spies, aided by a third man—whose identity he had yet to uncover. When he shared his findings within MI6 in the weeks before he died, the response came back fast and clear: Drop the investigation and move on. Had he uncovered a secret that cost him his life?

To pick up where he left off without ending up in a suitcase of her own, Emma goes undercover on one of the oligarch’s million-dollar yachts, scheduled to set sail from the Côte d’Azur to Monaco. Under other circumstances, this would be a dream vacation. But if Emma’s real identity gets discovered, it’s a death sentence.

As Emma’s work reveals secrets she’d be safer not knowing, the danger ratchets up. The killer may be closer to home than any of them imagined, and Emma won’t be safe until he—or she—is caught.

Enjoy the book trailer

Ava Glass is a pseudonym for a former crime reporter and civil servant. Her time working for the government introduced her to the world of spies, and she’s been fascinated by them ever since. She lives and writes in the south of England.

My thoughts: another cracking adventure for operative Emma Makepeace. With echoes of a real case that made the papers, an MI6 agent is found dead, someone is sending a message and it’s up to Emma to find out who.

To this end, she’s off undercover on a glamorous yacht in Monaco. But all is not as it seems. The dead agent had secrets and so does the Russian agent Emma is following. If she’s found out, she’s dead. There’s limited contact with her bosses, she’s on her own on the ocean. Can she solve the case and stay alive?

Gripping and thrilling, twists and turns abound and Emma has to keep her wits about her on board the luxury yacht, not sure who to trust. Once again it’s up to her to save the day. I like Emma, although that isn’t her real name, and her personal life, in the form of her anxious mother, weighs heavily on her. She’s dedicated and careful, but I think she needs a real holiday.

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

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Blog Tour: A Generation of Vipers – Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

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A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass…

When Dr Nell Ward stumbles across a woman’s body amongst the purple heather on Furze Heath, she was on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders.

But something is lurking out here far more dangerous than vipers.

A cold-blooded killer is on the loose and this is not his first victim. As DI James Clark begins to investigate, a pattern emerges pointing towards this being the work of a serial killer. Every victim shares the same physical characteristics – all of which are a match to Nell herself.

As Nell is pulled into a tightly coiled mystery, she can’t help feeling someone is tracking her every move…

Can she unmask the murderer before they strike again?

A completely gripping and page-turning cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood.

My thoughts: I really like this series, but if I was Nell, I’d maybe stop going anywhere on my own – she either finds dead bodies or almost becomes one in every story, including this one! Maybe it’s time to write a book on bats Nell, something you can do inside, safely.

Having said that, could murderers stop leaving bodies in beautiful places full of wild creatures, it’s probably affecting them quite badly too. Not every little newt or adder fancies finding dead humans in their homes. Which is how come Nell finds this one, she’s doing an ecological survey on a planned development site, one teeming with wildlife, some of which is protected, and stumbles across a corpse.

Could the killer be one of her new colleagues? And if so, how much danger is she in, given that the deceased looks a lot like her?

With Rav in hospital, and Nell needing to finish this survey and help the animals move house, it’s up to James, luckily a police inspector, to work out whether it’s one of the four men Nell now works, which one and why. Not that Nell, or Rav, can leave it alone.

Rav’s long road to recuperation following his accident in the last book, is well done. My former husband was a paraplegic, so I felt for Rav, spinal injuries are very hard to overcome and can be endlessly frustrating as you reconcile the person you are post-injury with who you were before. But you can lead a full and happy life disabled, and I hope Rav learns that, Nell isn’t going anywhere.

The crimes of this killer also relate to the work of Nell’s mother, a Tory MP with an eye to prison reform, partly due to all the scrapes Nell gets into. She’s a total magnet for murder and chaos. Even when she says she wants to focus on her work as an ecologist and bat expert (please fewer murdered bats in future, that was probably the worst bit), she can’t help getting involved with the investigation.

James also gets more of a role in this book, I quite like him. He puts up with Shannon’s craziness and is a dedicated officer and a good friend. He really shows his detective nous in this one, and there’s more of his team too. It isn’t Nell and Rav doing all the investigating this time. Although Rav spots a few crucial clues.

This series gets better and better with each book and I’m really pleased. I also feel my British wildlife knowledge has improved too (the author is a Doctor of ecology, like Nell) and I love all the different creatures Nell and Rav come across too.

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

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Blog Tour: Waking Isabella – Melissa Muldoon

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Waking Isabella copy

Welcome to the book tour for Waking Isabella by Melissa Muldoon! Read on for more info!
Because beauty can’t sleep forever…

WakingIsabella

Waking Isabella

Genre: Contemporary/ Romance/ Literature

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

“Waking Isabella” by Melissa Muldoon is a must-read for all fans of Italy, history, romance and intrigue. Eccellente! Muldoon magically weaves together the lives of Nora, Isabella and Margherita, spanning the course of many centuries, into a story that will mesmerize and haunt readers long after the last page is read. — Sheri Hoyte for “Reader Views”

Excerpt

When Isabella woke that morning with intentions of washing her long dark hair, she hadn’t imagined she would be dead before it was dry.

***

Nora couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of Isabella. How had a Renaissance woman found such a romantic love and she, a forward thinking, liberated woman, had failed so miserably at it? She studied the ceiling. Had Richard ever sent her such messages? She thought back to the early days of their courtship. They’d never really spent any time apart, so the only things he’d ever penned to her were short, itemized grocery lists. Digital texts that reminded her to pick up deodorant and dandruff shampoo hardly compared to the kind of love notes that had made Isabella swoon.

She plumped up the pillow under her head and wondered, Does a love like Isabella’s and Troilo’s really exist?

But that was the fantasy, wasn’t it? Even today, in this modern age, women dreamed of finding a wildly handsome man that would intellectually challenge and complete them, not to mention fulfill them in bed. Dispiritedly, she thought, What a bunch of Hollywood drivel.

Yet, she reminded herself, a life lived entirely on her own could be lonely. If she were honest with herself, she too wanted that dream. She wanted to feel a deep aching love like Isabella’s—but she also wanted mutual respect, independence, and freedom. She reasoned that if a complicated woman like Isabella de’ Medici had found love and an intellectual equal—perhaps there still might be hope for her as well.

Distracted by the fluttering of the curtains, Nora felt the caress of a gush of warm air blown in through the open window. It seemed the museum guard had been right about the thunderstorm. She sat up and looked out the window and listened to the branches in the garden below thrashing restlessly in the uneven evening breeze. From the far edge of the valley, she heard an ominous rumble roll across the fields. It wasn’t long after that a sweet, pungent scent filled the air, and she heard the sounds of water splattering on the ground.

As the rhythm of the rain steadily increased, she fell tiredly back onto the bed. To shield her eyes from the flashes of lightning stabbing the night sky, she pulled the cushion over her head again and relaxed into the soft mattress. Tucked inside a safe cocoon, she was vaguely aware of the storm’s commotion, but it wasn’t until she heard the woman speak that she groggily opened her eyes.

“Svegliati! Wake up, Nora. I have something important to tell you.”

Coming slowly to her senses, Nora sleepily replied, “Something important? I don’t understand.” Running a hand over her face, she opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. Standing in front of her was a woman in white, and she was no longer in bed. How she had come to be there speaking to a woman who was soaking wet, dressed in a flowing white gown, she hadn’t a clue.

A bit groggily she asked, “Am I dreaming?”

Ignoring her question, the woman replied, “We must be quick. There is no time to waste. He will be here soon.”

What was she talking about? Nora wondered. Who will be here soon?

Nora assessed the woman, observing how raindrops—or were they tears—dribbled down her cheeks. And, when the vision impatiently tossed her dripping mane over her shoulder, in fascination, Nora watched as the beads of water arched high into the air and remained suspended as if by magic. To Nora, they seemed like precious gems, that glistened and sparkled in the dim light.

“Nora!” the woman admonished, taking a step closer and gently shaking her shoulder. “Sbrigati! There is no time to waste.”

Refocusing her attention, Nora attempted to listen, as in hushed tones the vision continued, “You can trust no one, mia cara! Do you hear me? They want revenge. There is no time… Hurry… Francesco…”

As the misty vision continued mouthing words, Nora strained her ears, but she couldn’t understand completely the cryptic message the woman seemed so intent on delivering. Instead of becoming clearer, the woman’s strange message grew more convoluted and confusing. It seemed to Nora she was listening to a weak and crackling radio transmission and the words were coming from a place far far away.

“Aiutami, Nora! Help me. Paolo has come… Leonora dead… Hide letter…”

“Letter? What letter? I don’t understand you.”

The filmy vision only smiled obliquely and withdrew a piece of parchment paper from behind her back. Rapidly she scanned the contents, before kissing it, then extended it to Nora, as if she wanted her to read it too. But, just as Nora was about to take the note from her outstretched hand, the woman drew back and turned instead to a wooden chest by the side of the bed. In a graceful motion, she knelt before it and slid her hand along the back until a secret compartment sprung open.

With the hiding place fully revealed she peered over her shoulder to make sure Nora was watching her, then slipped the letter inside. In a satisfied tone, she said, “There. That is done. The letter is safe.”

Cryptically, she added, “Now, all my secrets are hidden, and only those who really know where to look will ever find them again.”

In slow motion, the woman spun around in a circle and Nora moved in her orbit. They continued their slow spinning dance, but when the woman looked over her shoulder, she came to a sudden stop. Pointing to the far wall, the vision cried out, “The painting is gone!”

Nora swiveled around but saw nothing in the darkness. From behind, the woman crept up to her and wrapped her arms around Nora and embraced her tightly. In the dark room, she could feel the woman’s cold, trembling body and the misery that flooded her mind. Softly, the lady in white moaned in her ear, “Do something, Nora. Help me. He has taken it!”

Hearing a low rumble, the woman moved swiftly to the door and rested her ear against it. When she turned, Nora could see her eyes were now wide with fright.

“He is coming. Hurry! We must hide.”

A flash of light blinded Nora.

“Find the painting, Nora. Don’t let them destroy it. Don’t let them win. Let them know…”

When a thunderous pounding on the door began, both women swung around. As another blaze of white-hot light illuminated the room, Nora fell dizzily to the ground. She tried to take a gulp of air but was suffocating under the weight of something covering her face. With all her might, she pushed back at her aggressor.

Now fully awake, she looked down at the floor and saw her pillow lying next to the bed. Her assailant had been a sack full of feathers. Sighing in relief, she flopped back on the bed and thought, It was just a dream.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

MelissaMuldoonAuthorPix

Melissa Muldoon is the author of four novels set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia”, “Waking Isabella”, “Eternally Artemisia”, and “The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola.” All four books are set in Italy and tell the stories of women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future. For more information visit: MelissaMuldoon.com

Melissa is the author also of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). “Studentessa Matta” means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include the podcast “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano”, and the “Studentessa Matta” YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy while immersing in language and culture. Through her website, she also offers Homestay opportunities to live and study in Italy in the private home of a teacher.

Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, and professional book designer, and designed the interiors of all three of her books as well as illustrated their covers. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press.

Melissa Muldoon

My thoughts: Having recently read Maggie O’Farrell’s The Marriage Portrait, about Lucrezia de’Medici, I was interested to learn more about her sister Isabella. Both were murdered by jealous husbands, although only Isabella was having an affair, no happy marriages for the daughters of Eleanora and Cosimo I of Florence, famously devoted to one another.

But mostly this is Nora’s story, of her return to Tuscany, of the reawakening of her love for jewellery design, art, history and hunky Italians! Making a film about Isabella, visiting the places she lived and died, and dreaming of finding the famous painting of her with her mother, all of this feels like a prelude to Nora, recently divorced, finding her own happiness.

There is also Margherita’s story, Luca’s grandmother, her love story, and tragedy, the war and the lengths people went to to protect what they loved and felt was precious.

All three lives, Isabella, Nora, Margherita, will collide in the town of Atruzzo, when Nora and Luca meet. Sweet, intelligent and enjoyable, this is a fantastic read for anyone who likes romance, mystery and history.

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

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Blog Tour: The Misper – Kate London

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There’s more than one way to go missing…

When Ryan Kennedy is imprisoned after killing a police officer, he knows what he has to do. Keep his mouth shut about who he was working for, keep his head down, and rely on his youth to keep his sentence short. When he gets out, he’ll be looked after.

Following the death in the line of duty of a fellow detective, DI Sarah Collins has left the capital for a quieter life in the countryside. But when a missing teenager turns up on her patch, she finds herself drawn into a much bigger investigation – one that leads her right back to London, back to the Met, and back to Ryan Kennedy, the kid who killed a cop.

This powerful novel from a former Met detective explores the devastation that organized drug-running gangs can wreak on young lives. It asks who deserves to be saved – and whether saving them is even possible…

Kate London graduated from Cambridge University and worked in theatre until 2006 when she joined the Metropolitan Police Service. She finished her career working as part of a Major Investigation Team on the Metropolitan Police Service’s Homicide Command. She has since written four novels in The Tower series, which is now a major ITV drama, starring Gemma Whelan. She is on Twitter @K8London.

My thoughts: after a police officer is killed by a teenager, the officers most affected by the killing are scattered across the Met and beyond – trying to move on.

But a chance to take down a county lines drug gang, and the killer, now free from prison, who may or may not be involved. As a mother desperately seeks her missing son, dragged into a life of crime and fear, the police see a way into the gang to bring them down and save lives.

A gripping and compelling book from a former detective, tackling one of the big issues facing law enforcement today – county lines and the young people whose lives are destroyed by the web of crime and violence they’re drawn into.

The writing is concise and intelligent, the characters flawed and realistic, the story compelling and moving. A highly enjoyable and interesting read.

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

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Blog Tour: Adventures About to Begin – Allen Therisa

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After the death of his grandfather, Noah’s life is thrown into chaos as he faces a repressed past which threatens everything he believes to be true. In the course of trying to come to terms with his loss, Noah must also navigate a difficult relationship with his sister, Kelly, as they reflect on their turbulent childhood – when they were taken from London to live in the Kent countryside following the breakdown of their parents’ marriage.

Set between the 1970s and the more recent past, Adventures About To Begin chronicles a collapsing marriage as experienced by its children and reflects on how memory shapes our decisions at crucial junctures during our lives. 

It is both funny and touching, as well as a sensitive insight into British family life during a period of great social and cultural change.

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Aside from writing fiction, Allen Therisa also writes for blogs on everything from popular culture to politics, outside of his working life in the world of social media and website design. Adventures About To Begin is his debut novel.

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My thoughts: childhood is a weird time, adults never tell you anything and punish you for spying and eavesdropping, but it’s the only way you ever learn anything, unless you have the kind of network of informants that Noah’s sister Kelly seems to as they navigate their parents’ divorce and being moved from one home to another, firstly to their grandfather’s and then to his ex-wife, their very strange grandmother’s. They’re often basically abandoned to their own devices – mum’s off working and their dad’s in the army.

Looking after younger brother Daniel, who doesn’t seem to speak, and is often sticky, they try to keep themselves entertained and informed about the goings on in their family.

Burying their grandad brings up all the memories of that turbulent time, sharing bedrooms with cousins and navigating their granddad’s decline and gran’s cruelty.

Even as adults, their family is dysfunctional and the relationship between the siblings isn’t much better. Noah and Kelly are an interesting pair – their squabbles and complicated bond get them through the tough times, which leave a mark – Kelly won’t marry her long term partner, Noah seems to be perpetually single, Daniel doesn’t even come home for the funeral.

There is a strong strand of black humour shot through this quirky and occasionally bleak story, the characters are smartly drawn and it is a surprisingly compelling read.

Click here for more on the tour

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

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Blog Tour: Mayhem in the Mountains – Kelly Oliver

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1918 Italy
When a deadly blizzard traps Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane in the Dolomite Mountains, it’s all downhill from here.Their hotel is snowed-in, and no one can get in or out. Then a man is found dead in his locked hotel room – and the killer is still on the premises. But with no murder weapon and too many suspects, their investigation is treading on thin ice.
The colder it gets outside, the hotter it gets inside as Fiona squares off with both her beloved Archie and her nemesis Fredricks. With her love-life on a slippery-slope, Fiona risks everything in one bold move…
As fast and twisty as a downhill slalom, this slick new cozy from Kelly Oliver will have you melting into a puddle of laughter.
Snap in and enjoy the ride.

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Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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My thoughts: still in pursuit of Frederick Fredericks, Fiona, Kitty, Charles and Poppy are now in the Italian Dolomite mountains, snowed in with a motley crew of soldiers, socialists and one Benito Musolini, the future leader of Italy.

After a soldier is injured and taken to the hospital next door, Fiona starts to investigate, something strange is going on in this lonely place and she’s determined to ensure it won’t affect the war and that Fredericks won’t get up to any more mischief.

As usual Fiona feels she’s got less information than everyone else, especially Kitty, and with her beloved Archie popping up out of nowhere, she’s suspicious. But she’ll put all her skills and knowledge into this mystery first.

Lots of fun, and with a few real people and events thrown in for good measure, Fiona is getting even better at investigating, and while her colleagues seem to be less than open with her, it is war and loose lips…

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

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#SummerofSciFi Book Review: Assassins & Olympians – Marie Howalt

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When interstellar private investigator Richard Hart and his pilot, Eddie Macías, are combing a zetoi city for a fugitive insurance fraudster, the open-and-shut case takes an unexpected and deadly turn.

They return to their spaceship, the Colibri, with a dangerous military secret that threatens to have dire consequences for everyone involved. Conflicts begin to brew, despite travel guide writer turned live-in consultant Alannah Jackson’s eager attempts to keep tempers in check.

As Richard and crew reconnect with a familiar Terran Defense Force intelligence officer, they discover a political game that requires their discretion, and may even throw humanity’s peaceful unity into question.

Join Colibri Investigations for a new adventure full of snarky banter, undercover agents, vendettas, coffee approximations of varying quality, and action straight out of a wendek crime show.There’s no planet too distant, no job too strange, for Colibri Investigations!

Marie Howalt grew up near Copenhagen in Denmark, Scandinavia and decided to become a writer at the age of 11 when the local library failed to deliver an acceptable amount of science fiction and fantasy.

Having graduated with a master’s degree in religion and English studies with a primary focus on speculative literature, Marie wrote as a hobby and worked as a teacher and a translator between English and Danish before changing lanes in life due to chronic illness (post concussion syndrome).

Fast-forward to the present, and you will find Marie writing as much as physically possible. The tales are longer and more complex than the childhood fantasies, but they still take place in the far future or other worlds.

When not writing (or bribing imaginary people to share their stories), Marie is dedicated to being a cat perch, but also enjoys reading and listening to audiobooks as well as drawing, making videos, and collecting and restoring antique fountain pens. Sometimes, you can find Marie pushing art supplies, stationary and fancy pens in one of Copenhagen’s oldest shops.

Marie’s first traditionally published novel came out in 2019, and since then, there has been a steady flow of a new book every year (plus the odd short story). Assassins and Olympians is the second novella about Colibri Investigations, but the trusty little spaceship is already preparing to take flight again, so you won’t have to wait for too long to join the crew on more adventures.

If you want to keep up with Marie’s life and writing and get a healthy dose of cat pictures, please drop by Marie’s Instagram profile @mhowalt. You can also get special perks and previews by newsletter or on Patreon via www.mhowalt.dk

My thoughts: this was a really fun adventure novella, with PI’s Richard and Eddie on the trail of the person who hired an assassin to take Richard out. But despite no longer being a soldier, Richard has skills and before long the assassin is joining the crew of the Colibri, temporarily as he assures an unimpressed Eddie, to assist with finding the person who hired him through a middle man.

There’s plenty of hijinks, kidnappings, arrests, favours for the Terran Defence Force, that thankfully comes with expenses, Eddie’s snack bill alone costs a small fortune, and planets with very weird rules – how many people outside Greece speak Greek?

This was so much fun to read and I hope there’s going to be lots more stories about the crew of the Colibri to come.

Thank you to Marie for sending me a copy to read and review, make sure you stop by her links above and say hi.

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Blog Tour: #TeamScilly Double Review – Hell Bay/Ruin Beach – Kate Rhodes

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Today is my first post on this epic tour covering all of Kate Rhodes’ Isles of Scilly Mysteries series, featuring DI Ben Kitto. Follow the hashtag #TeamScilly on social media for the other hosts.

DI Ben Kitto needs a second chance. After ten years working for the murder squad in London, a traumatic event has left him grief-stricken. He’s tried to resign from his job, but his boss has persuaded him to take three months to reconsider.

Ben plans to work in his uncle’s boatyard on the tiny Scilly island of Bryher where he was born, hoping to mend his shattered nerves. His plans go awry when the body of a sixteen-year-old girl is found on the beach at Hell Bay. Her attacker must still be on the island because no ferries have sailed during the two-day storm. 

Everyone on the island is under suspicion. Dark secrets are about to resurface. And the murderer could strike again at any time . . .

THE ISLAND OF TRESCO HOLDS A DARK SECRET SOMEONE WILL KILL TO PROTECT.

Ben Kitto has become the Scilly Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police. As the island’s lazy summer takes hold, he finds himself missing the excitement of the murder squad in London. But when the body of professional diver Jude Trellon is discovered, anchored to the rocks of a nearby cave, his investigative skills are once again needed.

At first it appears that the young woman’s death was a tragic accident, but when evidence is found that suggests otherwise, the islanders close ranks. With even those closest to the victim refusing to talk, it seems that plenty of people might have had reason to harm her. As the islanders remain guarded, Ben Kitto suspects a killer is on the loose in Tresco.

Everyone is a suspect.
Nobody is safe.

My thoughts: Ben Kitto has returned to the Scilly Isles off Cornwall’s Atlantic coast, the place he called home as a child. He hasn’t been back for a while and he’s on extended leave from the Met following his partner’s death.

More or less immediately after arriving on the island of Bryher, he’s drawn into the search for a missing teenage girl. When her body is found on the beach, he volunteers his services as a Murder Team detective to the local DCI. He’s a local and has the skills to catch a killer.

There’s not many people on the island and the killer has to be a local, in a tight knit community, this is devastating. When another teenager disappears, the DCI decides it’s case closed – the missing boy killed his girlfriend and then himself, but Kitto doesn’t believe that at all. His unorthodox methods and willingness to ignore orders put his life in danger, but he will find the truth.

I really like Ben, I like his silly dog Shadow too, even though Ben doesn’t want a dog. I like the islanders, they’re a tough bunch, isolated by tides and weather at times, dependant on fishing and tourism for much of their income, in a place famous for its historic smugglers and not known for violent crime. A murder sends shockwaves through the community, but they pull together and help Ben where they can.

I think his deputy, young detective Eddie, is a sweetheart, desperate to do a good job, delighted by his impending fatherhood, keen as mustard and with good instincts too, he’s the perfect foil for Ben’s jaded cynicism.

In book two, Ruin Beach, the tragedy is on another island, Tresco, but it’s still Ben and Eddie’s patch so off they go to investigate.

The victim this time is another woman, older than in their last case, mother to a small child and a well known diver. Born and raised on the island, she knows the waters well so her drowning is shocking.

Under the seas around the islands lay hundreds of shipwrecks, some ancient, and there are a lot of people keen to find the possible treasures still aboard. I always feel a bit uncomfortable about things like this, as those ships are also grave sites, a lot of sailors will have gone down with their ships and their remains rest at the bottom of the ocean.

But others have no qualms, and while taking anything without handing it over to the authorities is very illegal, people in nedd of money, like some of the islanders, might be willing to do desperate and stupid things. Did Jude and did her killer find out and murder her for her treasure?

As Ben and Eddie dig into the case, more people are put in danger as this very ruthless killer stops at nothing to evade the police and find the sunken ship, hoping to make their fortune. There’s a few red herrings, Jude seems to have fallen out with her brother and several others, and there’s a dodgy couple from the States hanging around, but after working his way through the suspects, can Ben stop anyone else from being harmed?

If anything, this was even more chilling than than Hell Bay, with the killer kidnapping people and leaving them to drown – a truly horrible way to die. Their desperation makes them do awful things, but Ben Kitto isn’t a man to let it go, and even risking his own life to save another, won’t slow him down.

Join me next time for more #TeamScilly crimes and don’t let them put you off heading to the Isles for a visit, they’re meant to be truly stunning and are on my list for the next time I head to my beloved Cornwall.

*I was kindly gifted copies of these books in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Darkness on the Edge of Town – Matthew Hattersley

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They thought John Beckett would be an easy target. They thought wrong.

Deep undercover as the right-hand man of a ruthless crime lord, secret service officer John Beckett’s mission suddenly takes a deadly turn. When a mysterious data leak puts his life on the line, he must make a choice that will change his life forever.

On the run and with danger tailing him, Beckett races against time to save his niece, Amber, from vicious kidnappers. But with deadly threats closing in, he comes to the startling revelation he can trust no one… not even his closest allies.

The streets of London become a battlefield as Beckett struggles to stay one step ahead of his enemies and protect Amber – all the while confronting the dark truth about The Consortium, a shadowy organization that will stop at nothing to maintain its grip on power.

Can Beckett save Amber and bring down those intent on destroying him? Or will he become the ultimate pawn in their deadly game? Only one thing is certain… danger lurks in every shadow and time is not on Beckett’s side.

Darkness On The Edge Of Town is a fast-paced thrill ride that’s perfect for fans of  David Baldacci, Lee Child, David Silva and Mark Dawson.

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Matthew Hattersley was born in Yorkshire, in the UK. Over the last twenty years he has toured Europe in a rock n roll band, trained as a professional actor and founded a theatre and media company.

He’s also had a lot of boring jobs to help sustain his creative endeavours.

Now we writes action thrillers and crime fiction. He is the author of the bestselling Acid Vanilla series and the upcoming John Beckett series.

He lives with his wife and daughter in Derbyshire, UK and is not too comfortable writing about himself in third person.

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My thoughts: from the very first pages I knew this was going to be a gripping, no holds bared thriller as British secret agent John Beckett has been doxxed and the criminals he’s undercover amongst discover the traitor in their midst.

As the bosses of various security agencies and the politicians scramble to uncover their mole and call their agents in, Beckett must rescue his only weakness – his niece, and get her and himself somewhere safe. The Consortium, the criminals he was investigating, will stop at nothing to find him, and kill him. He must do the same, knowingly risking the lives of his allies too.

Amber is an innocent in all this but must be as tough as her uncle to survive. Even Beckett’s old friend at the agency, Beaumont can’t be 100% trusted, he has bosses to answer to. So Beckett is on his own. As he races across London with Amber, forces close in on him, some supposedly friendly. Can they make it or will it end here?

Smart, gripping, full of twists and turns, politicking and shoot outs. A high octane start to what could be an excellent new series.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour