blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Last Resort – T.J. Emerson

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The unputdownable new thriller from the bestselling author of The Perfect Holiday, which will have fans of Lucy Clarke and T M Logan gripped.

As soon as you first see the house, a former hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know it’s the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away from the rest of the world. A private resort in paradise. A place to recover and grow.
But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.
Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, all you have to do is take a life.
But you could never do that… could you?
You’d die to stay here. But would you kill to?

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Tracey lives in Scotland and writes psychological thrillers. Her short stories have been widely published in anthologies and literary magazines, and her feature writing has appeared in Stella magazine, Woman’s Own and The Sydney Morning Herald. Her first psychological thriller for
Boldwood, The Perfect Holiday, was published in April 2022 and was an Amazon bestseller.

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My thoughts: this is why I am suspicious of any of these wellbeing places that seem a bit too cult-like. There’s always way too much secret tension and no one is completely immune to the lure of the outside world.

When Sofia returns to the place her mother died, now a hugely wealthy and dangerous young woman, she’s there for revenge. She’s not coming back to see the people she once knew but offer them a terrible proposition. If they kill their leader, Quinn, she will give them three million euros and enable them to turn the dilapidated villa into a resort and make it a success.

But is this a price too far? Is murder too much, or will someone do anything for the right place. As Sofia’s offer forces the small cracks between the residents to widen and grow, Quinn starts to unravel and secrets come to light. Can this tiny community stay together or will the money drive them apart?

Tense, creepy and sinister, moving between narrators and timelines, this is a clever and gripping thriller set in the Cyprus hills.

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

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Cover Reveal: Fatal Fungus – Wenark Green

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One great bake-off. Twelve golden pies. Two lovable, dogged amateur sleuths back in stride.

 On a crisp, autumn evening, in quaint Bogus Hole, the village committee proposes a pie-and-buy charity auction to celebrate the first anniversary of Sycamore Medical Practice. Twelve bakes will make the coveted gingham table for a doctor-only bidding war, thus setting the scene for a memorable day.

 The next week, when a doctor collapses at the annual Christmas fair and later dies, the gossip train rumbles with the burning question. Who baked a poisonous mushroom into their pie?

 Team Awesome truffle hogs, Windy & Darling, are hot on the fatal fungus trail. Can our daring duo sniff out the killer of the not-so-fun guy?

 Publication Date: 24th June 2024

The book will be available to purchase here on publication day

Author Bio –

Creativity’s a must for Scottish-raised, environmental science graduate Mark, who co-manages a self-publishing house, is formidable at book formatting, and writes cosy crime and sci-fi. He also makes music and fancies himself as a cartographer. A self-confessed geek, Mark’s hopelessly devoted to maps and roads, and his fondness for tree-hugging or pondering pylons takes whimsical to a new level. High on his priorities are reading, laughter, healthy food, and nature bathing. Mark adores animals, especially cats. Just ask Tahlula, his fussy old tuxedo puss.

Ironically, a cruel plot twist kick-started Wendy’s writing career. She’d always wanted to be an author but an MS diagnosis said no. Believing she’d never write again, Wendy swapped wallowing for blue sky thinking and, with drive and dedication, followed her vision by writing cosy mysteries and thrillers. Born in the original Washington, NE England, Wendy has a diverse CV. A serial word nerd, she’s now an erudite editor, and co-owns a self-publishing house, ensuring her lust for all things alphabetical and grammatical never wanes. She devours dictionaries, adding a prized new gem to her repertoire every day.

When not nitpicking, mentoring, or critiquing, Wendy’s a sworn bookworm. Her other loves are music, cooking, yoga, and comedy. She’s a hat freak, animal qwackers, loves a good quiz, and is a devoted nature buff.


Deadly Dough is the couple’s feature-length debut.

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Book Blitz: Our Immortal Hearts – Lara Buckheit

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OurImmortalHearts copy

Happy publication day and congratulations to Lara Buckheit on the release of Our Immortal Hearts! Click “Add to Cart” now!

OurImmortalHearts

Our Immortal Hearts (Tales from the Wyldelands Book 1)

Publication Date: March 19, 2024

Genre: Spicy Vampire Romance/ Fantasy Romance

🌙Hurt/Comfort

🖤Fated Mates

🌙Found Family

🖤You’ve never hurt me. Ever

🌙You came! You asked!

🖤Hot Vampires doing Hot Things

🌙Evil Buffy Vibes

She is his ruination.

He is her salvation.

Destined for death, Rory Alarie’s life has never been her own. As Adelphi’s Sacrifice, every moment of every day is monitored by overbearing guards and a controlling family who will stop at nothing to ensure she remains obedient to the mortal kings. Except Rory harbors a secret–she doesn’t want to die. Not for her family, not for her kingdom, and certainly not so supernatural creatures can be eradicated from Norica.

Famed assassin Quill Godrickson doesn’t kill innocents. Yet when the vampire supreme threatens to kill all those he holds dear if he refuses, he accepts what’s supposed to be his easiest assignment yet–eliminate Adelphi’s Sacrifice before the mortal kings gain more power. However, when Quill arrives in Adelphi, he doesn’t expect to find himself irresistibly drawn to the one he’s meant to assassinate.

As Rory and Quill are caught between duty, desire, and death, it is Rory who must choose her final path: reluctantly die as Adelphi’s Sacrifice or allow Quill to turn her into one of the creatures she was raised to hate.

Our Immortal Hearts is the first book in Tales from the Wyldelands, a new collection of standalones featuring heart-pounding romance, glittering dark magic, and bloody intrigue, perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches, From Blood and Ash, and Throne of the Fallen.

GET IT HERE

About the Author

Lara Buckheit was born and raised on the Eastern Shore. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wilmington University, is a 2021 WriteMentor Mentee, an avid writer (and reader) of spice, and one time she met Taylor Swift’s dad.

She started writing at a very young age, mostly fanfiction centered around women with swords and men with devilish grins. And she hasn’t stopped since.

When not writing, Lara can be found drinking tea, hustling for her day job, reading from her endless TBR pile, or hanging out on her body confidence bookstagram.

Lara lives in Charlottesville, VA, with her husband, dog, and thirteen houseplants named after fictional characters.

Lara Buckheit

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Blog Tour: Murder in Moscow – Kelly Oliver

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Journey into the heart of 20th Century Russia in this fun and funny historical mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright and Helena Dixon.

1918 Moscow

Will following her heart mean losing her head? It could mean losing her job.
Fiona Figg trails her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks to Moscow. But when she arrives at the grand Metropol Hotel, the bounder has vanished.
After Fiona doesn’t show up for work at the War Office, Kitty Lane raises a red flag and tracks her to Russia. Seeking haven at the British Embassy, Kitty and Fiona become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Bolshevik government.
But the plot turns deadly when Fiona goes undercover as a governess in the household of Iron Viktor, the Bolsheviks’ Head of Secret Police. And when Viktor turns up dead in his study, Fiona finds herself wanted for murder and on the lam.
Can Fiona and Kitty find the real killer and escape the Kremlin before it’s too late? Or will this dangerous game of Russian roulette be their last?

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Kelly Oliver is the author of three award-winning bestselling mystery series and dozens of nonfiction books.

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My thoughts: we’re back with the intrepid spies Fiona Flagg, Kitty Lane and Poppy the Pekingese. Fiona has taken off to Russia after Frederick Fredericks, which of course turns into disaster in the middle of the First World War. The Bolsheviks have removed the Romanovs from the throne and are planning to withdraw from the war. 

Fiona ends up locked up by the Cheka and then undercover in the home of the boss of the secret police. How does she keep getting into these scrapes? I went to Moscow and didn’t get arrested, OK it was the early 00s not 1917 but still. 

Luckily Kitty, Poppy and Co are on the way, and there’s a plot to foil, with Archie’s safety on the line. Fiona needs to decide whether her heart belongs to the British spy or the dashing German Fredericks.

I really love this series, it’s clever and funny, filled with real people and events, as well as the brilliant Fiona and Kitty. Once again Poppy comes through with her exceptional scent tracking skills and Clifford manages to tell a few of his long winded stories too.

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

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Blog Tour: Invocation – Aileen Erin

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Invocation copy

We’re celebrating the release of Invocation by Aileen Erin! Grab yourself a copy if you love supernatural fantasy, nephilim, and slow-burn romance!

Invocation Cover - Cover Only

Invocation (Days of Iron and Clay #1)

Publication Date: March 19, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Nephilim

🪽Found Family

😈Angels & Demons

🪽Daughter of Fallen Angel (FMC)

😈Slow-burn Romance

🪽Portals

😈Powerful Exorcist

There are three things I know without question. One, demons are real. Two, humans make awful mistakes that get them in demonic trouble more often than you’d think. And three, I’m the only one who can help them.

​I straddle the line between the mortal and spiritual realms every day. People might think they’re two different places, but they’re not. They lay on top of each other. It’s messy, and that’s why so many people need my help.

​Since I was little, I’ve been called all kinds of names—unusual, abnormal, even insane. Which is fitting since they keep throwing me in to mental facilities. I’ve been in and out of them my entire life.

​But no matter what people say, no matter what I’m risking, I will always help those in need.

Because there’s an endless war carrying on all around us, every minute of every day. One that can’t be seen by mortal eyes. But I can see it, the spiritual battle for mortal souls, and I’m working to make sure my father is on the losing side.

My father—Astaroth, Satan’s general—is why I can do this. He’s why I’m not normal. I hear him, whispering my name at night, his taunts echoing through the spiritual realm. He’s hunting me, and I know the day will come when I must face him again.

Every portal I open could be the one that finally pulls me back to Hell, and I wonder if I will be brave enough, strong enough, good enough to fight him.

My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.

GET IT HERE

About the Author

Aileen Erin is half – Irish, half – Mexican, and 100% nerd—from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her family in Texas, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Aileen Erin

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Blog Tour: Chloe’s Crusade – Donnalyn Vojta

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Chloe'sCrusade copy

Welcome to the tour for book two in The Teddy Bear Chronicles, Chloe’s Crusade by Donnalyn Vojta!

2 FINAL JPG 2023

Chloe’s Crusade (Teddy Bear Chronicles #2)

Genre: Psychological Thriller

*NOT a children’s book*

In this second volume of the unique thriller/suspense series narrated by inanimate teddy bears, the ever-brave Chloe Stogdon inserts herself into the dark and chilling world of a global drug clan. Her fearless companion, Tiny Bear, provides a vivid account of the distressing, disturbing events that unfold around Chloe and her FBI team.

The story takes exciting turns and offers many layers of drama, including a love triangle, a star-struck stalker, and a tattered family relationship that may or may not recover. Chloe’s old friends, Richard and Sidney from Vol. I become entangled in Chloe’s perilous cartel crusade, and Love Bear, Fair Bear, and a debut bear, Rocco, reveal all the thrilling moments seen through their innocent eyes.

GET IT HERE

About the Author

Formerly a litigation attorney, one constant in Donnalyn Vojta’s life is her love for writing, whether novels or screenplays. Vojta’s goal is always to entertain others as she’d like to be entertained. And for her, that means lots of suspense and thrilling twists!

Donnalyn Vojta

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Blog Tour: At the Stroke of Midnight – Jenni Keer

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It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast by a total stranger.

Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it.
Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…

Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.

But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?

Purchase


Jenni Keer is a history graduate who lives in the Suffolk countryside. Her lifelong passion for reading became a passion for writing and she had two contemporary romance novels published in 2019. She
has now embraced her love of the past to write twisty, turny historicals, and The Legacy of Halesham Hall was shortlisted for the Romantic Historical Novel of the Year in 2023.

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My thoughts: this was a really fun, clever and entertaining mystery novel. Forced to relive the same day over and over, Pearl and her new friend Ellery first have fun with this strange new reality and then decide that they need to investigate the disappearance of the house’s owners the Brockhursts and the other guests connection to the couple, though they all deny knowing them.

As Pearl unravels the terrible secrets being kept and attempts to stop having to die every night and reset the timeline, she learns some shocking things, things that change everything she thought she knew.

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

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Blog Tour: Crow Moon – Suzy Aspley

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When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…


Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.
Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that
turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back…


When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows.
As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha…

Originally from the north-east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in
Scotland for almost thirty years. She writes crime and short stories, often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her.

She won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Capital Crime New Voices Award.

In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. Crow Moon was also longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award. She’s currently working on the second book in the series, and when she’s not writing, she’s either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs dreaming up more dark stories.

She lives in Stirlingshire with her family.

My thoughts: this was so good, creepy, weird, gripping, well written and from an exciting new writer in crime fiction.

When a teenage boy goes missing in the small community of Strathban and his body is found with a verse from an old poem about a witch inked on his body, Martha, a grieving journalist and mother of the dead boy’s best friend, who found the body, is drawn into the investigation.

The Scottish poem is sinister and creepy, embedded in the local landscape and the killer is definitely a local and obsessed with it. Martha suspects the parish priest, who is rather intense and knows all the young people who get dragged into the case, including her son.

There’s a terrible hidden tragedy that comes to light as the case races to it’s end, and there’s more as a fire takes hold of the kirk, and Martha has to confront her own personal losses.

I really liked Martha, she has incredible instincts and even wrapped in grief and pain, she has compassion for others and determination to help, even when DI Summers tells her to back of, but it’s such a personal case, she can’t. She thinks the police have the wrong suspect and that proves to be true.

This book had me absolutely hooked from the start and I cannot wait for the next book, I want to see more of Martha and how her next investigation goes.

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

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Blog Tour: A Country Wedding Murder – Katie Gayle

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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.

Amazon

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.

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Blog Tour: Still See You Everywhere – Lisa Gardner

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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.