blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Two States, One Killer – Alistair Birch

Baz Swoon is on the brink of the biggest deal of his life when two brutal
murders shatter rural Maine — and all the evidence points straight at him.

His wife, Melanie, already wary of his secrets and long absences, questions the
man she thought she knew.

Detective Philippa Fraiser heads south to North Carolina, and together with
Lieutenant Marquez, they uncover a pattern too precise to be a coincidence.

Someone is orchestrating the perfect frame — always one step ahead.

As Baz’s world unravels, his reputation, marriage, and freedom hang by a thread.
But the deeper Philippa digs, the clearer it becomes. This isn’t just a setup.

The killer is studying everyone.

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Alistair Birch is a thriller writer and occasional poet, penning silly and
poignant rhymes. After two stints with separate publishers, he turned indie in 2024, producing a nineteen-eighties psychological thriller, The Evil Within, followed up by a co-authored epic historical thriller, The Girl from Berchtesgaden.

The re-release of his two-book, modern action thriller series, Shadow Pursuit and Shadow Play, came next and in 2026 he’s begun a new US-based detective procedural series. Book one is called Two States One Killer with the sequel, Cold Vein, well into production.

Outside of writing, Alistair works in IT and has volunteered as a facilitator in a mental health charity. He loves to cook, and occasionally head out for a run.

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My thoughts: The evidence builds against Baz, and the police are soon on his trail, only he doesn’t even know that they think he might have murdered two people. He’s busy organising a buyout of his business, or so he thinks. The only person he trusts is Nick, but is he wrong to do so?

When detective Philippa Fraiser arrives in North Carolina from Maine, she thinks it’s a pretty solid case, except her prime suspect has never been to Maine, and then his assistant Cindy disappears, swiftly followed by Baz himself. What is going on?

As Philippa and Martinez search for the man, a series of rather obvious clues left for them, lead them to think someone else is manipulating things, pulling Baz’s strings. And they might be dangerous.

A clever, twisty story, where it’s hard to know exactly who to believe in until it all starts to become clear, and fall apart, as the police close in on their killer, just as he thinks he’s got away with it.

*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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Audiobook Tour: Armored Hours – Stephanie Hansen

We love a good audiobook and Armored Hours ticks so many boxes! Think Cable Girls meets Peaky Blinders meets Titanic!

Armored Hours (Reincarnated Souls Book One)

Release Date: July 7, 2026

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Narrators: Eric Smies & Elise Arsenault

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  • Historical romantasy
  • Girl squad
  • Opposite sides of the track
  • Loveable rogue
  • Prohibition era
  • Matchmaking mother
  • Dandy friends

The girls had forged a bond together like iron that could not be broken. Claudia, Kiersten, Lina, and Florian were on the brink of making history with their powerful feminist movement, but then they suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Alexander was a desperate bootlegger who was willing to risk it all to search for them. Not only were they in cahoots with him to help smuggle feminist contraband and forbidden booze, but Claudia had also unknowingly captivated his heart. He vowed to find them at any cost, but little did he know that their disappearance was part of a much bigger and sinister plot from the upper echelons of society.

Set in 1920s Paris of the Plains, Armored Hours is a thrilling tale of love and mystery interwoven with hints of magical realism.

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Blog Tour: The Ninth Realm – Julia Silverwood

We’re touring The Ninth Realm this week! If you’re looking for an epic romantasy with a Norse twist, this one’s for you!

The Ninth Realm (The Norse Realms Saga Book 1)

Release Date: May 21, 2026

Genre: Norse Romantasy

  • Lethal trials
  • Ruthless gods
  • Norse legends
  • Companion beasts
  • Star-crossed romance
  • Forbidden love
  • Bonded mates
  • Political intrigue
  • Mythological creatures
  • Forced proximity
  • A high-stakes romantasy where The Hunger Games meets Norse mythology, packed with deadly trials, dangerous intrigue, and a slow-burn romance where your greatest enemy may be your only ally.

    Nine realms. One bond. No escape.

    For ten thousand years, a Keeper has stood between Earth and the chaos of the Norse realms, holding back cunning gods, legendary creatures, and beautifully wicked fae. But Saga knows nothing of this until her dying father calls her home to Iceland and leaves her his title, his secrets, and a fate she can’t refuse.

    She discovers she’s bound by magic to Kalen, a mysterious fae who despises her fragile humanity because when she dies, so does he. So when the Norse gods resurrect the Tournament of Realms, a brutal contest where champions fight for the role of Keeper, Saga must obey the call, and Kalen becomes wholly infested.

    To survive the trials, Saga must master her fighting skills and tether with her companion beast while navigating the intrigue of the gods. Yet her greatest challenge may be resisting Kalen, who could either save her heart or shatter the world she’s fighting for because desire is as lethal as the gods’ games.

    A must-read for readers who love plot twists, dangerous trials, Norse legends, companion beasts, and star-crossed romance. Perfect for fans of Demi Winters and Danielle Jensen.

    AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & OTHER FINE RETAILERS

     

    Content Warnings:

    • On-page death
    • Battle violence and gore
    • Death of a parent
    • 1 spicy scene

     

     

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    Blog Tour: Don’t Let Her In – J.M. O’Rourke

    Lesley seems like a perfectly normal woman. Until you ask her to leave.

    Gillian wants to do right by her elderly Aunt Myra. A safe nursing home. Daily visits. A peaceful final chapter for the woman who has been like a mother to her.
    A plan that’s derailed when a stranger turns up on the doorstep claiming to be Myra’s long-lost niece, Lesley. She says she’s here to look after Myra.

    Within days, Myra’s bank accounts are being drained and Lesley has taken full control of the house. And Gillian—the woman who has always been there for Myra—isn’t allowed through the door.

    When she demands to see her aunt, the threats begin. Smashed windows. A slashed tire.
    Headlights chasing her down a lonely country road.
    But Gillian isn’t backing off.

    Suspicious that Lesley isn’t who she says she is, Gillian digs into her past. And discovers a secret far more horrifying than anything she could have imagined.

    A chilling, twist-laden thriller about the people we let through the door, and what they take when we do.

    Don’t Let Her In – the shocking psychological thriller, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris, Shari Lapena, and Lesley Pearse.

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    I hail from Mayo in the west of Ireland, although I spent much of my life away, in the US, UK, Europe, Jersey in the Channel Islands and various parts of Ireland. In my
    younger years I was incredibly restless. I left home and school at 16 and spread my
    wings.

    I’ve had over forty jobs, everything from barman, labourer, staff newspaper reporter, soldier in the Irish army, station foreman with London Underground, mason, and many more besides. I returned to education as a mature student in the early noughties and hold a BA in history and sociology from the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, and an M.Phil in creative writing (first class honours with distinction) from Trinity College Dublin.

    Since 2005 I’ve been a civilian employee of the Irish police, An Garda Síochána.
    However, I’ve been on extended sick leave since 2015 following a mystery illness
    which struck while travelling in Spain. It almost killed me. The doctors never got to
    the bottom of it and they call me the Mystery Man. But every cloud has a silver lining.
    It has given me the time to write.

    Although I’ve been writing all my life, most of my output languishes in the bottom of drawers. Under my real name, Michael Scanlon, I was published for the first time in 2019 by Bookouture with the first of three crime novels.

    Working with Inkubator is a great opportunity because I think I’ve learned something since becoming published and I want to put it into practice. It is a new departure and I have adopted a pseudonym because the books are so different. I hope readers like them.

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    My thoughts: Poor Aunty Myra, her nieces by marriage have always been there for her, especially Gillian, but now her long-lost niece has arrived from Scotland with her brutish husband and grown up grandsons to “look after” her. Gillian is immediately suspicious.

    They won’t let her visit, the formerly impeccable house is a mess, then Myra ends up in hospital after a fall. She’s not with it and seems incredibly groggy and sleepy. The nurse at the hospital is suspicious too.

    Gillian has been dealing with several scary things, her windows are smashed, her tyres slashed and she feels terrified, she’s positive it’s the Cuckoos (as she calls them) but has no proof. Until a chance phone call with Myra’s great-nephew fills her in. Now to try and get the police to do something.

    There’s also a little time for romance too, in the form of hunky farmer Paddy, who comes to her aid at the Thursday night dance in the community centre. Gillian doesn’t feel so alone with him around, and her sisters are on side too. Can they save Aunty Myra from her so-called niece before it’s too late?

    I was hooked, Gillian just wanted the best for a woman she’d known and loved her whole life and Lesley was a bit suspect from the off, she certainly had all the answers. Her family are awful and Myra’s lovely home is soon a total mess, a far cry from the way it is right at the beginning. It was just a shame no one official took a closer look at the family before moving on. A clever and nasty woman vs a kind and trusting one. It never ends well.  

    *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: Conspiracy on the Levels – David Hodges

    DETECTIVE KATE HAMBLIN IS FIGHTING FOR HER CAREER – AND MAYBE HER LIFE – IN THE GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER FROM A FORMER POLICE OFFICER.

    Elderly Agnes Everard never stood a chance. The car slams into her at breakneck speed, then vanishes in a cloud of billowing smoke and burned rubber.

    Hours later, two officers knock on Detective Kate’s door. A witness swears it was Kate’s vehicle that hit Agnes Everard – and the evidence agrees.
    Kate knows it’s a lie. But before she can fight back, she’s suspended, her badge stripped away, her reputation in tatters.

    With the help of her loyal husband Hayden – the only person who believes she’s innocent – Kate sets out to investigate. A tip-off leads to a rented flat in Highbridge – and a body at the foot of the stairs, neck snapped, eyes staring. Kate realizes Agnes wasn’t the only target.

    Someone is orchestrating this. Someone who’s watching Kate closely.

    Someone who knows exactly how to destroy her – and is prepared to kill anyone who gets in the way.

    With her career on the line and the net tightening, Kate must uncover who wants her ruined – before she becomes the next body on the floor.

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    David Hodges served in the Thames Valley Police, from the rank of Constable to
    Superintendent, retiring after thirty years with the force. During that time, he gained
    wide experience in numerous operational and management roles, including both urban and rural policing, membership of the tactical Support Group, an authorised firearms and public order unit, and departmental and operational command. Prior to his retirement, he was appointed the force Press, Public Relations Officer and completed his career as the head of Corporate Communication.

    A prolific writer, with fifteen crime novels published so far, including ten in his
    Somerset Murder Series, David is a member of the Society of Authors, the Crime Writers and Crime Readers Associations and International Thriller Writers.

    An active supporter of public libraries, and keenly interested in wildlife and the
    countryside, he is married, with two daughters and four grandchildren, and now lives in beautiful Pembrokeshire, where he can fully indulge his passion for writing.

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    My thoughts: Framing a police officer for the hit and run of an elderly lady was never really going to work. Detective Inspector Kate Lewis is too clever and too determined to just roll over and take the blame. She knows she’s innocent, and she’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.

    With the help of her loyal husband (and fellow police officer) Hayden, she’s soon tracking down answers, even if some of her senior officers would rather see her go down for it.

    There’s lots of twists and turns as Kate digs into the case, determined to prove her innocence and stop whoever it is that’s out to destroy her. They don’t seem to want her dead, but her career and life in ruins. Who could be so motivated?

    A smart and engaging investigation, a clever and dogged protagonist, a psychopathic criminal, it’s a heady mix and a great 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.

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    Blog Tour: Rum and Roses – Ashley J. Vinson

    Rum and Roses is a spicy dark romance novella with phantom of the opera vibes and it’s on tour all this week!

    Rum and Roses

    Release Date: June 6, 2026

    Genre: Dark Romance

    • Biker x ballerina
    • Cinnamon roll stalker
    • Consensual BDSM + dom/sub relationship
    • Forced proximity
    • He ☠️ every douchebag that hurts her
    • He kidnaps her to ‘protect’ her
    • They’re baristas together
    • He’s tatted, pierced & plays violin

    Meet Silas: an ordinary man whose world spirals into darkness the moment he lays eyes on Rosalie. Her radiant smile, that infectious laugh, and carefree spirit ignite a burning fixation within him. What begins as innocent admiration quickly morphs into a twisted obsession. One where he lurks silently in the shadows of her life, convinced that their connection is fate.

    When Silas kidnaps Rosalie to shield her from a world he believes threatens to tear them apart, a complex relationship takes shape within their hidden refuge. Fear gives way to understanding, and love begins to bloom in the unlikeliest of places. Rosalie, initially terrified, starts to see glimpses of Silas’s desire to love and be loved; no matter how dark the path may be.

    As they navigate a maze of fear, passion, and obsession, their story challenges the very meaning of love, blurring the lines between devotion and danger.

    Dark, seductive, and utterly unpredictable; this is a story where love knows no bounds, even if that love is deep rooted from obsession.

    AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

     

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    Blog Tour: Short Grift – Simon Maltman

    In the world of the Short Grift, the plans are desperate, the criminals are questionable, and the  outcome is usually messy.

    Simon Maltman delivers a masterclass in modern noir, blending
    razor-sharp crime fiction with a dark, cynical wit that cuts right to the bone.

    This collection contains conflicted grifters, serial killer grifters, zombie grifters, and even Donald Trump.

    Link to tie-in album: SHORT GRIFT

    Goodreads Purchase

    Simon Maltman is the author of novels, novellas and short stories, released with various  publishers. An Amazon Bestseller from Northern Ireland he writes a range of crime fiction thrillers.

    A regular guest at festivals and events, he is the tour guide for Belfast Noir, and also a well known book reviewer for the likes of ITV and online journals.

    An established ‘Ulster Noir’ author, he also writes American-set high concept thrillers.

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    My thoughts: A collection of short and clever crime stories, some very brief, others a few pages. One even features the current President of US (or does it?) 

    This was an enjoyable read, I liked how the stories were self-contained but some of them could also be snippets from larger narratives. Short stories are not easy things to write and make them interesting on their own, but this collection manages that with ease.

    *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: Felix Grey and the Seven Assassins – Mario Theodorou

    Seven assassins. One election. The fate of the British Empire hangs in the balance. Felix Grey returns in a high-stakes historical mystery of power, politics and murder.

    Prime Minister Felix Grey is still reeling from the fallout of his last ordeal, which left his home secretary dead and his own reputation in tatters. With a general election looming, a fragile Labour party emerging, and an odious Tory leader waiting to seize power, he would rather retreat than fight. Duty, however, and the quiet pressure of King Edward VII, leave him with no choice.

    As tensions rise at home, danger gathers abroad. In India, demands for independence grow louder, and a shadowy group of seven assassins is dispatched to strike at the heart of the British establishment. Their targets include senior politicians and even the king himself. The message is clear: empire will not be preserved without bloodshed.

    Relying on his wits and a loyal circle of allies, Felix must uncover the conspiracy before it tears the country apart. Felix Grey and the Seven Assassins is the second novel in this historical crime series, combining political intrigue, real historical figures, and a high-stakes assassination plot into a fast-paced, witty caper that will delight fans of classic historical mysteries and intelligent, plot-driven fiction.

    My thoughts: Prime Minister Felix Grey is up for re-election, and then he’s warned that a team of assassins from India are in Britain with the hope of striking a blow for independence and he’s on their list.

    With the help of his friends and loyal steward Humphrey, Felix plans to find the potential killers and stop their plan, protecting the king and staying alive himself too.

    There’s a visiting Swami as well, and while he purports the importance of ahimsa (non-violence to all living things), Felix isn’t sure that he isn’t involved in some way.

    I really enjoyed this book, Felix is a great protagonist and his friends are all fascinating too – especially Alfred, the young man Felix rescued in the previous book. He’s investigating the secret office through the Downing Street fireplace, as it seems someone else has been accessing it. He’s also taken up photography, accompanying Felix on his campaign as his official photographer, and learning to read thanks to Felix’s housekeeper.

    This book covered a complicated period of time, as India attempted to wrest control of its destiny from the British, and the principles of non-violent protest clashed with those who were willing to do anything to achieve their goals.

    Felix is much more moderate than the real politicians of the time, and more willing to listen to people and understand their point. He might not be able to do much as the rest of the Establishment was against home rule for India, but he’s not completely beyond redemption. I’m looking forward to the next book.

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

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    Blog Tour: The Bounty of Blood and Nails – N.K. Brown

    We’re thrilled to share The Bounty of Blood and Nails by N.K. Brown this week and we have a deluxe special edition to give away too!

    The Bounty of Blood and Nails (The Devil’s Huntress Book 1)

    Release Date: March 2026

    Genre: Dark Fantasy

    • Feminine Rage
    • Morally Grey Characters
    • Dark magic
    • Forbidden magic
    • Grumpy x Sunshine
    • Love Triangles
    • Spicy Romance
    • Hidden Villains

    Tam is a heartless, ruthless bounty hunter—or so her handler would have you believe.

    With her ability to use forbidden blood magic, Tam tracks and captures her prey. The same blood magic that curses her to a life of servitude under a cruel handler—one wrong move and not only her life, but her family’s will be at stake. But when she’s sent to a remote, superstitious northern town where even a glimmer of magic will send you to the gallows, she’s forced to confront the darker consequences of her work.

    After the murder of her bounty, innocent townspeople are blamed—and Tam’s conscience begins to stir. But there’s no turning back. Her handler raises the stakes, and her next mission is even more dangerous: infiltrate the royal castle and capture the enigmatic Prince Bellinor. Disguised as a maid, Tam is drawn into a world of deadly secrets, where her words are whispered into the prince’s ears through an ancient magic she’s never faced before.

    To get close to the prince, she befriends his loyal bodyguard, Clement, but the deeper she digs, the more she realizes that Clement’s destiny is tied to the prince. With time running out and the castle tightening, Tam is forced to watch the trial of the people blamed for her own prior actions. But will she complete the mission—or risk it all as she falls in love with the person whose life she must destroy?

    In this fast-paced, thrilling tale of magic, betrayal, and forbidden love, Tam will have to decide if being the bad guy is worth losing everything.

    AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

     

    Trigger Warnings: Blood, gore, violence, and scenes of a sexual nature

     

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    Blog Tour: Service – Lauren Mooney

    Danielle MacKinnon’s nearly thirty and still hasn’t got her life sorted. She’s broke, hates her job as PA to the blithely privileged Jeannie, and now a break-up has left her with nowhere to live.

    It comes as a surprise when Jeannie suggests that Danielle stay at Westerley, the sprawling Yorkshire estate where she grew up. They need someone to look after the place anyway.

    At Westerley, Danielle luxuriates in her idyllic, borrowed life as lady of the manor – but the house is strange, uneasy. that started in London has followed her there.

    Then Jeannie arrives unannounced. Working for Jeannie, serving her, living in her house, the razor-thin boundaries between Danielle and her boss begin to dissolve. Soon their relationship slides into one that is older, stranger and harder to name.

    Something is happening at Westerley. Things where they shouldn’t be. The shadow of a maid sweeping in the dawn light. But is the house really haunted? Or is Danielle?

    Lauren Mooney is a writer from the East Midlands. She works in theatre and audio drama, and has co-run Kandinsky Theatre Company since 2015, making award-winning shows across the UK and Europe. She is a graduate of UEA’s Creative Writing Prose MA, where she held the David Higham Scholarship. She lives in south London with her husband Stewart and their tortoise, Sacher Tort. Service is her first novel.

    My thoughts: Danielle is coasting through life, she’s stuck in an assistant’s job at a charity that doesn’t seem to really do anything, working for Jeannie, who treats her like a dogsbody, sending her to do the weekly shop and her errands.

    When Danielle’s best friend tells her she can’t sleep on the sofa in her house share anymore (her ex is in their flat), she’s suddenly homeless. When Jeannie suggests she stay at her family’s moldering house Westerley and look after it, she accepts. 

    But the night terrors and sleep paralysis that have been plaguing her seem to be worse in Yorkshire than they were in London and she’s even starting to see things in the daytime. Bowls of peaches seem to appear, a maid in the corridor when she’s the only person in the house. 

    Then Jeannie and her son pitch up, the roof of their London home having caved in, and suddenly Danielle is cooking and cleaning for them and sleeping in the old servants’ quarters in the attic, and her strange visions are getting even more real. 

    I liked Danielle, I’ve been a PA, although thankfully not for anyone as entitled as Jeannie, and I have an ancestor who was a housemaid (my great-grandmother) so I recognised that in her.

    She’s clearly struggling with her life, her relationship has ended and she’s stuck in a rut with her job, her strange experience at the house, the visions and the increasingly real haunting seem like warning signals that she needs to change things, to start over and stop letting life happen to her.

    A really interesting and enjoyable 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.