Annie’s sister has gone missing. Why doesn’t anyone care?
Annie feels like she’s at a good place in her life. Happily married, expecting her first child, enjoying a vacation with her extended family at their beautiful coastal home.
But then her sister, Sunday, suddenly goes missing.
Annie is immediately concerned, but the rest of the family assure her that everything’s fine, this is the kind of thing Sunday does, she’ll be back…
But Annie knows in her heart that something is very wrong. And she won’t rest until she sees her sister safe and well.
As Annie digs for the truth, she realizes that some of her family are not what they seem. And as she draws closer to uncovering their horrifying secret, Annie finally understands that she and her unborn child are in terrible danger…
Cathryn Grant writes psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, and ghost stories. She’s the author of twenty-three novels. She’s loved crime fiction all her life and is endlessly fascinated by the twists and turns, and the dark corners of the human mind.
When she’s not writing, Cathryn reads fiction, eavesdrops, and tries to play golf without hitting her ball into the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and two cats.
My thoughts: the family in this book is deeply creepy in so many ways, the constant touching of Annie’s pregnant belly, the way they all adhere to their dad’s outdated and quite frankly wrong philosophies, the gaslighting that goes on when Annie tries to get them to look for her sister, the rewriting of the past. I kept wanting to shout at Annie and her slightly useless husband to get out of there, there’s something deeply weird happening!
How many red flags do you need. And obviously it gets worse and weirder the longer they’re all there in the house, feeding each other’s strange behaviour and stoking Annie’s paranoia and fear. Disturbing but compelling to read. Makes me glad my family are a bit “normal”.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Bang. Bang. Bang. I jump as the knocks on the window crash above the roaring wind outside. Who could it be, at this late hour? I open the curtains and peer outside. ‘Hello?’ But the dark, the rain and the empty lane are all I see.
It’s been eleven years since I last saw Jonah, after his brother died that stormy summer night. And now, without warning, he’s back, living in his old house next door just like old times, on the remote Scottish island that is home. Where I used to imagine we’d stay, together, forever, sharing our lives and our secrets as we always had. But that was before.
Jonah’s not the sweet boy I once knew. His mood is changeable, his behaviour unstable, our brief conversations are forced and awkward. And then the knocks on my window begin. It can only be him, but why, and what does he want? I used to love him. Now I don’t even want to invite him in.
Because after all these years, I see our childhood secrets, the ones we swore never to reveal, in a newly terrifying light. Was his brother’s death truly an accident? Could Jonah’s secrets have been worth killing for? And how safe am I now, on this isolated island, with the man I used to love…?
A totally addictive and twisty psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Housemaid won’t beable to put Childhood Sweetheart down!
Wendy Clarke was a teacher until the small primary school where she worked closed down. Now she is a writer of psychological suspense but is also well known for her short stories and serials which regularly appear in national women’s magazines.
Wendy has two children and three step-children and lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex. When not writing, she is usually indulging in her passion for dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
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My thoughts: this is a very clever book, until the twist is revealed and then it’s also very, very shocking. And then there’s some more twists that put a completely different light on events. Ailsa is an incredibly brave woman and a devoted mum, she risks her life to protect Kyle, her autistic son. Even though the person she’s protecting him from is her childhood best friend and first love, Jonah. Or is he? What really happened that night on the Loch and where did Jonah and Callum’s dad really go?
Ailsa doesn’t necessarily want all the answers but then she realises she needs them to ensure Kyle doesn’t lose his home. And she has some reckoning of her own to do too. Moira might have taken them in, but she was keeping secrets too.
Dark and creepy, this is one of those books that makes your eyes widen as it slowly unfolds and the stories people tell themselves and others unravel.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Actress Kate Tolle falls victim to an illness that baffles the medical world.
In desperation her husband Ben appeals to the public, and an anonymous benefactor comes forward. Soon the couple find themselves on a flight bound for San Francisco.
Where the enigmatic Merle is waiting.
Kate’s health appears to improve as people around her die horrifically. Merle tells Ben that healing comes at a price and questions what he’s willing to pay.
But what does Merle want?
And what is the chilling truth waiting out in the desert … in Las Vegas and beyond?Buy Links
Mark writes detective crime fiction, and psychological and supernatural thrillers. He is the author of the popular Tyler & Mills detective crime series set in Staffordshire. RED IS THE COLOUR was shortlisted for the 2018 Arnold Bennett Prize and begins with the grim discovery of a schoolboy who disappeared thirty years earlier. BLUE MURDER involves a missing singer and a murdered guitarist, elevating an obscure band to sudden fame and fortune. THE DEVIL WORE BLACK unveils the mystery of a crucified priest. The latest book in the series, THE SMELL OF COPPER, finds Tyler out on a limb as the detectives uncover high level police corruption. All the books can be read as standalone crime novels.
Other detective mysteries include THE BATHROOM MURDERS. A series of women are found hacked to death while taking a shower. This is the first in a new series set in Manchester, featuring female detective Charlie Reed. TWIST has the eponymous private investigator returning, against his better judgement, to the city of nightmares to look into the strange case of a dead philosophy student. THE MAN UPSTAIRS introduces hard boiled Frank Miller, discovering he’s a fictional detective and that his author is plotting to kill him.
Mark also writes psychological and supernatural thrillers. SILVER finds journalist and crime writer Nick Slater obsessed with an unpublished manuscript that a best-selling author was working on when she was murdered, and which her family refuse to publish. SEXTET explores the twisted rivalry between twin sisters, the weird games they played as children, and the rising murder rate in a small English town. COFFIN MAKER is a gothic tale. Death is sent two apprentices amid warnings from an out-of-favour priest that the devil has arrived on Earth. Mark’s latest book PAINTED FIRE finds a writer travelling to America’s West Coast in a desperate bid to find a cure for a baffling illness afflicting his wife. An anonymous benefactor has offered to help, but at what price?
My thoughts: this was a very strange book, it started out very realistically, Kate has a strange unknown medical condition that baffles every doctor who meets her. Offered the chance to see a unique specialist in the States, paid for by public donations and that of an anonymous benefactor, her husband Ben agrees and the two head out.
Of course this doctor is a complete charlatan and they’re devastated. Then it gets very, very weird. A strange man called Merle approaches Ben in the hotel bar, revealing himself to be a healer and their benefactor. He insists he can cure Kate.
But first he needs them to come to Vegas. For reasons he never seems too keen to explain. But Kate does seem to get better. And if it wasn’t for the dead bodies, murder victims or accidents all, that keep cropping up and the increasingly strange things Merle says, then maybe Kate and Ben would have been OK. But it does get even more peculiar.
I did enjoy it, but it’s definitely not a straightforward read, bit of a brain twizzler really, the ending is certainly very perplexing. I think this might be one of those books you need a very specific mind to understand, and I don’t think I have that kind of brain. Certainly a read it and make up your own mind one.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
“You should have trusted me. You should have given me a choice.”
AD 370, Roman frontier province of Noricum. Neither wholly married nor wholly divorced, Julia Bacausa is trapped in the power struggle between the Christian church and her pagan ruler father.
Tribune Lucius Apulius’s career is blighted by his determination to stay faithful to the Roman gods in a Christian empire. Stripped of his command in Britannia, he’s demoted to the backwater of Noricum – and encounters Julia.
Unwittingly, he takes her for a whore. When confronted by who she is, he is overcome with remorse and fear. Despite this disaster, Julia and Lucius are drawn to one another by an irresistible attraction.
But their intensifying bond is broken when Lucius is banished to Rome. Distraught, Julia gambles everything to join him. Following her heart’s desire brings danger she could never have envisaged…
Buying links for JULIA PRIMA: Ebook (multiple retailers) Paperback
Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her nine-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.
She blends her fascination for Ancient Rome with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
My thoughts: this was a really enjoyable, well written love story with a determined and intelligent protagonist in Julia – a princess from Noricum (now Austria and Northern Slovenia). She’s fallen in love with the son of a Roman senator and will stop at nothing to be reunited with him.
Accompanied by her body servant Asella and a centurion turned artist Aegius as their guide, she travels cross country, evading her father’s men and bandits, risking it all on reaching Rome. There’s another menace dogging her heels, one she’s not even aware of, that might prove truly dangerous.
I liked Julia, she was bright and engaged, her stubborn attitude keeps her going even when things get tough. I also liked Aegius and Asella – they were a great double act, keeping Julia from her more excessive ideas and guiding her in her decisions and journey.
I’ve read a couple of the later books in the series which feature Julia’s descendants so it was good to go back to where it all started with the first of the family.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Author Terry Tyler has put her books on sale for all of her favourite readers, YOU! Wasteland, the sequel Megacity and even the prequel Hope are all on sale for $0.99/ 99p this week!
Wasteland
Publication Date: April 22, 2020
Genre: Dystopian/ Psychological Thriller
“Those who escape ‘the system’ are left to survive outside society. The fortunate find places in off-grid communities; the others disappear into the wasteland.”
The year: 2061. In the new UK megacities, the government watches every move you make. Speech is no longer free—an ‘offensive’ word reaching the wrong ear means a social demerit and a hefty fine. One too many demerits? Job loss and eviction, with free transport to your nearest community for the homeless: the Hope Villages.
Rae Farrer is the ultimate megacity girl – tech-loving, hard-working, law-abiding and content – until a shocking discovery about her birth forces her to question every aspect of life in UK Megacity 12.
On the other side of the supposedly safe megacity walls, a few wastelanders suspect that their freedom cannot last forever…
Wasteland is the stand-alone sequel to ‘Hope’, the second book in the Operation Galton series, and Terry Tyler’s twenty-first publication. A third book, Megacity, is also now available.
Terry Tyler is the author of twenty-four books available from Amazon, the latest being ‘Where There’s Doubt’, about a romance scammer. She is currently at work on a post apocalyptic series, which will probably take the form of three novellas. Proud to be independently published, Terry is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.
Aside from writing and reading, Terry loves The Walking Dead, South Park, abandoned and lonely places, history, the sea, and going for long walks where there are lots of trees. She lives in the north east of England with her husband.
Perfect for fans of T.J. Klune, Becky Albertalli, and David Levithan, this hilarious, big-hearted LGBTQ+ mystery follows an unlucky in love—and life—gay relationship blogger who teams up with a take-charge lesbian and a fiesty bull terrier to find a missing go-go boy and bring down an international crime ring.
When Hayden McCall’s new crush suddenly disappears, the twenty-something gay ginger relationship blogger and middle-school teacher teams up with a take charge butch lesbian, a gentle giant, and a feisty bull terrier to find the missing guy.
Driven by a belief that the police won’t take the crime seriously, the improbable crime fighters prove that friendship — fueled by a lot of caffeine — has the power to bring down a diabolic international crime ring.
Prior to Devil’s Chew Toy, Rob Osler’s short story, Analogue, which was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, won the Mystery Writers of America Robert L Fish Award as part of the 2022 Annual Edgar Awards. Rob lives in California with his long-time partner and a tall gray cat.
As DEVIL’S CHEW TOY is a contemporary novel set in a city I’m extremely familiar with, there was not a heavy research task. Also, because the two main characters are VERY amateur sleuths, I could avoid needing to get a lot of police procedure right—though there is some police interaction. That said, it’s amazing how many little questions arise in every chapter that require a pause and some desk research.
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
The hardest character to write was Hollister—not that she was too challenging. I strove to be respectful of Hollister’s identity as a Black lesbian in America without going so deeply into her character that hers became a story that wasn’t mine to tell.
The easiest character to write was Hayden McCall. Why? Because there’s a whole lot of me in him. We are both naturally shy and smaller of stature (though he’s shorter and slighter). I took Hayden on the type of adventure—with a bolder, stronger, and more courageous friend—that I would love to go on.
There are many cozy mysteries out there….What makes yours different?
My story features two extremely amateur sleuths, one mild-mannered gay ginger and one butch lesbian. I’ve heard from some reviewers and readers that while pairing a gay and a lesbian as the main protagonists is not unprecedented it is uncommon. Also, I intentionally wrote a story in which the queer characters are neither the villains nor the tragic victims.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Understand that whatever amount of patience you have will be depleted and then some. Publishing moves in increments of months. It takes a long time—and a lot of collaborators—to bring a book to market.
Your book is set in Seattle. Have you ever been there?
I set the book in Seattle because it’s my “Spirit City.” I lived there for nearly twenty years and loved it. Given as much time as it takes to write a book, I wanted to return to Seattle and its neighborhoods and hills and waterways during the long writing process.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I have been a marketing and branding strategist for many decades, both at agency/consultancies and at technology corporations. I think the general mind set of prioritizing activities that matter most has helped me with all aspects of writing and the navigating the publishing process.
How long have you been writing?
I actually started my professional career as advertising copywriter writing television commercials for Kellogg’s and Tropicana and Procter & Gamble. Fiction writing also uses words to communicate but that’s about the only commonality I’ve found! It’s the difference between landing one memorable message versus telling a compelling, captivating story over three hundred-plus pages. Trust me, a novel is way harder.
Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
You know, I really never do. But then I’m not much of a procrastinator either—not that they’re the same thing. My biggest challenge is going off on a tangent with a character or a scene that needlessly complicates the story and “writes me into a corner.” I do a lot revisions.
What is your next project?
I have recently sold my second short story to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. It features a fifty-something cross-dressing whacky amateur sleuth named Perry Winkle who solves a murder at his Palm Springs condo community.
What genre do you write and why?
I write traditional mysteries because that has been the genre I have always most loved to read. And I feature LGBTQ+ main characters because I am gay and we need more books—of all genres—that represent the great and glorious rainbow of humanity.
What is the last great book you’ve read?
Two spring to mind. The first: THE SAVAGE KIND by John Copenhaver, who also happens to be a very nice human being. This novel—no surprise—won the Lambda Literary Award for best mystery this year. The second: DEAD LETTERS FROM PARADISE by Ann McMan is sheer delight. Both books are truly terrific.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
“I can’t wait to read the next one!”
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Both Hayden and I are gay, mild-mannered, quiet, but good for an occasionally humorous one-liner. We both play tennis and enjoy big personalities. As Hayden says, “we balance each other out.”
If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
The characters are so distinct in my head, I can’t picture a known movie star playing either Hayden, Hollister or Burley. However, I can see Della Rupert, the oddball proprietress of Barkingham Palace, played superbly by Melissa McCarthy.
If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Stanley Kellogg’s “Falling Hard,” of course! This song, which was made up along with the new country star himself, reoccurs throughout the story. Fun fact! After the book was published, a good friend, Ben Davis, and I completed the lyrics and Ben wrote the music and produced the track. It’s on my website. Check it out!
What were the biggest rewards with writing your book?
Hearing from readers that they enjoyed it.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
Long.
What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Every time you are certain you’re done working on a book, know that you aren’t.
Which authors inspired you to write?
Agatha Christie and Armistead Maupin.
What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
There’s a line that 91-year-old Jerry delivers in reply to Hayden’s question: “How did you get to be so wise old man?” Over the whistle of the kettle, Jerry replies, “I managed to live a long damn time.” That “damn” was an Eff-bomb until the final edit. It was the only strong swear word in the book. By removing it the book avoided an R rating, if you will. But I still love the idea of Jerry saying the line with more gusto!
On rituals:
Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?
No snacking. But I do try to drink plenty of water.
Where do you write?
I have a home office. I’ve never been able to do the coffee shop thing. I am too easily distracted.
Do you write every day?
Not every day. But I do write most days.
What is your writing schedule?
I usually write in two- to three-hour spurts. In a mystery, context and pacing is so important I am not skilled enough to dipping in and out.
Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?
Nope. I just plop my butt down and starting tap, tap, tapping. I will say I find it very difficult to stop writing before I finish a chapter, even in the roughest draft form.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
No. But I do use notebook paper to scribble plot ideas before I write.
Fun stuff:
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
The seventies. The music was awesome. Though I’m still wary of bell bottom pants.
Favorite travel spot?
Switzerland.
Favorite dessert?
Raspberry rhubarb pie
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Tales of the City
All the Light We Cannot See
What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
I set off for Alaska to work on fish processing barge after my sophomore year at college. If fish were running, the shift was 16 hours, every day until all the fish were processed. I still don’t know why I did it, but I returned two more summers.
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I have been life-long tennis player and watcher. I can usually name the top twenty men players—and often in order!
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
Rob Osler writes traditional mysteries featuring LGBTQ+ main characters.
What is something you’ve learned about yourself during the pandemic?
We are social creatures who need human interaction.
What TV series are you currently binge watching?
Inventing Anna by Shonda Rhimes on Netflix.
What is your theme song?
“Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits.
What song is currently playing on a loop in your head?
“The Seaside” by The Lazy Eyes
What is something that made you laugh recently?
Jinx Monsoon’s roast performance on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Hi-lar-ious.
What is your go-to breakfast item?
Toast and yogurt with berries.
What is the oldest item of clothing you own?
I have a green argyle sweater I bought in Seattle thrift store about forty years ago.
Tell us about your longest friendship.
Twin girls, Kelly and Shelly. I grew up with them. We went to elementary, middle school, high school and then to the same out-of-state college! Just a few months back, I did a book event at the wonderful Boise bookshop Rediscovered Books. Guess who was in the front row?
Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
Willy Ames who played the role of Tommy on Eight is Enough.
My thoughts: this is a very funny book. I loved Hayden and Hollister, the world’s most ridiculous PIs, in their very recognisable car, hunting for their missing friend, ably assisted by the excellent Burley (who bakes, this book made me hungry!)
The characters are great fun, the plot completely bonkers at times and there’s an adorable dog in the mix too. It reminded me of How I Paid For College by Marc Acito (one of my favourite books) and several other highly entertaining capers I’ve read. I really want more of Hayden and Hollister solving crimes and getting in way too deep with things that are maybe best left to actual law enforcement.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When an attempted murder is linked to a string of unsolved sexual attacks, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is incensed. All those women who still have sleepless nights because the man who terrorises their dreams is still on the loose.
Calling on forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish to help, they follow the clues and are alarmed to discover the victims all had one thing in common. Their birthdays were on the 29th February. The same date as a female officer on Whitney’s team.
As the clock ticks down and they’re no nearer to finding the truth, can they stop the villain before he makes sure his next victim will never scream again.
Broken Screams is the twelfth book in the acclaimed Cavendish & Walker series and is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Helen H Durrant and Rachel McClean.
Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, in the UK. She has always had the travel bug, and after living in both Manchester and London, eventually moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand (apart from five years in Australia), which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world.
After writing young adult fiction for many years, under a pen name, Sally decided to move into crime fiction. Her Cavendish & Walker series brings together two headstrong, and very different, women – DCI Whitney Walker, and forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish. Sally has a background in education, and has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes. She has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.
My thoughts: Walker and Cavendish are back. This is easily one of my favourite series around and it’s all because of the excellent writing, the great characterisation and the way the crimes are handled, sensitively but not squeamishly.
A series of horrific rapes and an attempted murder come to Walker’s attention and her team uncover a strange connection between the victims – they’re all leap year babies – born on the 29th February. And then a woman is murdered – another leap year birthday. Is this the thing that the killer targets? And if so how does he know so much about his victims, stalking them till he gets them alone.
There’s a few false starts in finding the suspect – including one man who appears to have been set up, or is he the killer? Some forensic evidence points his way, but more points elsewhere. Would a sting operation help them or simply put an officer in danger?
Elsewhere Cavendish’s personal life takes centre stage and Walker has to make an important decision about her relationship with Martin. Lots to consider.
Another enjoyable case in Lenchester – a thankfully fictional town as I think the body count would put me off!
Click the image to follow the rest of 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.
We are so thrilled to share the exciting follow-up to Fred Yu’s sword-slashing fantasy, The Orchid Farmer’s Sacrifice! Read on to learn more about The Commoner’s Destiny!
The Commoner’s Destiny (The Red Crest Series #2)
Genre: Epic Fantasy/ Historical Fantasy/ Asian Fantasy
Publication Date: May 5th, 2022
His past is dark. His intentions are cloudy. When lies pull him out of hiding, can he fight off imminent destruction?
Ancient China. For Chen Han, honor sits above all. So when his name is unjustly slandered and his former brothers-in-arms rise against him, he doesn’t hesitate to counter the falsehoods. But his heart burns for vengeance after he learns his beloved father figure has been murdered by a hidden villain…
Joining forces with a beautiful archer, Han treks to a dangerous island only to spring a deadly trap. And as he discovers a plot that could drive the entire Middle Kingdom into civil war, he must become the very traitor he swore to destroy in order to save his people from slaughter.
Will he submit to disgrace to stop countless deaths?
The Commoner’s Destiny is the astonishing second book in The Red Crest Asian historical fantasy series. If you like emotionally wrought heroes, heart-pounding twists, and epic battles, then you’ll love Fred Yu’s sword-slashing story.
The Orchid Farmer’s Sacrifice (The Red Crest Series #1)
Publication Date: October 5th, 2021
Genre: Asian Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy
He was born of prophecy. If he can’t embrace his destiny in time, his country is doomed.
Ancient China. Spoiled and overconfident, eighteen-year-old Mu Feng relishes life as the son of an honored general. But when his sister is abducted and his friends slaughtered, he flees home. He soon discovers the mystical birthmark on his body has attracted an enormous price on his head.
Pursued across the Middle Kingdom, Feng finds allies in two fierce warriors and a beautiful assassin. When he learns his ultimate enemy plans an incursion with advanced weaponry, he must call on his friends and his own budding military genius to defend his country. His plan is desperate, and the enemy outnumbers him twenty-five to one…
Can Feng fulfill a duty he didn’t know he had and unite the empire against a terrifying force?
As a lifelong student of martial arts, and growing up watching martial arts flicks in the 80s and 90s, Yu decided early on that he would write in this genre. Inspired by George RR Martin’s work, he decided he would write a series in English in this centuries-old Asian genre. Yu has written three previous novels, The Legend of Snow Wolf, Haute Tea Cuisine and Yin Yang Blades. Yu has aBFA Film and Television from NYU Tisch School of Arts. He was born inGuangzhou, China, but presently lives in New York City.
At the heart of a tiny community in a remote village just inland from the Aberdeenshire coast stands an unexpected lighthouse. Built two centuries ago by an eccentric landowner, it has become home to the only bookshop for miles around.
Rachel is an incomer to the village. She arrived five years ago and found a place she could call home. So when the owner of the Lighthouse Bookshop dies suddenly, she steps in to take care of the place, trying to help it survive the next stage of its life.
But when she discovers a secret in the lighthouse, long kept hidden, she realises there is more to the history of the place than she could ever imagine. Can she uncover the truth about the lighthouse’s first owner? And can she protect the secret history of the place?
My thoughts: this was a lovely book, with a mystery at its heart in the shape of the lighthouse’s secrets and past but it was also about the people in the village who loved the bookshop and wanted to preserve it rather than see it destroyed by selfish property developer Dora McCreedy (or McGreedy as I renamed her in my head).
Rachel and Gilly both find a safe haven in the bookshop and in the village. There’s romance in the air too. It’s such a sweet, gentle story, something I really needed and the lighthouse’s past was also lovely and a little sad. Perfect for a cosy evening reading.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.
I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I’ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I’ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster.
My name is Ari.
And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.
My thoughts: I get the comparisons to The Name of the Wind, I do, but this is a different beast. And it is a beast – my workout routine is essentially just reading big books and trying not to drop them on my face (reading in bed is an occupational hazard).
Influenced by the author’s cultural background, and with echoes of lots of stories that have come before – which makes sense when Ari is a storyteller, this is Ari’s story. His life, from theatre urchin to street thief and beyond. He’s been in so many stories himself, all of them with a hint of truth, but a lot of nonsense too. He’s trying to keep ahead of his ancient enemies, but the opportunity to tell his story to a mysterious and beautiful woman is too much to pass up.
The writing is engaging and the story draws you in straightaway, I wanted to know more about the mysterious man in the enchanted cloak with its many pockets. Trading stories for lodgings and food, enchanting audiences with tales they’ve heard before but in new skins.
This could be a truly epic series with adventures, stories, love, death, monsters and magic running throughout. Definitely worth getting a copy as it’s out now.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 